Pianist Son Yeol-eum named to head jury for Italian competition preliminaries

All Headlines 14:35 June 21, 2018

SEOUL, June 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korean pianist Son Yeol-eum has been appointed to head the jury for the preliminary rounds of the 62nd Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, one of the most renowned piano competitions in the world.

Son will attend the preliminary, which will run from Aug. 22-29 in Bolzano, Italy, as the chief juror, the festival authority said Thursday. The final round is scheduled for Aug. 20-30 next year.

Founded in 1949 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the death of world-renowned Italian pianist and composer Ferruccio Busoni, the competition is one of the biggest piano competitions in the world. Past first-prize winners include Alfred Brendel and Martha Argerich.

"It's an honor and a pleasure to be part of a contest with history and tradition," said Son. "I also feel a sense of responsibility for the role of discovering and nurturing new musicians."

In March, Son was appointed the new artistic director of the annual PyeongChang Music Festival and School, taking over from sisters Chung Myung-wha and Chung Kyung-wha, who helmed the festival for the previous seven years.