Teen cello prodigy Han Jae-min looks beyond competition

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korean cellist Han Jae-min grabbed international attention as the youngest winner of the prestigious George Enescu International Competition last year, but the 17-year-old prodigy thinks it is just the beginning of his long musical journey.

Born from flutist parents in Wonju, 132 kilometers east of Seoul, Han started playing cello at the age of five and debuted three years later in his hometown with the Wonju City Symphony Orchestra.

He studied with renowned cellist Chung Myung-wha and entered the Korean National University of Arts, the nation's top art institution, in 2017 through an early admission program, and won several musical competitions at home and abroad.

Han admitted he was born with natural talent for music but didn't consider himself as a genius.

"I am not pressured by the prodigy title, because I think it is not meaningful," Han said in a group media interview Thursday. "I agree that I am born with talent, but I'm not a genius ... I have to practice a lot to be able to stage good performances."

When Han applied for the Enescu contest, he practiced intensively to achieve a big goal but felt confined in terms of musical interpretation.

"I felt a lot of stress, because I had to choose standard interpretations over my own ideas to receive good scores from juries. I loved performing on stage, but the preparation process was not happy," Han said. "In that sense, I feel more liberated now. I don't have plans for any competition for now."

Last year, he signed with KD Schmid for general management, whose roster includes pianist Cho Seong-jin and cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Although he looks confident and fully immersed in front of an audience, Han said he often gets nervous before his turn due to pressure for the best performance.

"I feel pressure before every performance. The program list is getting longer, as there are more concert schedules, but the practice time is limited. I am concerned about how to create the best quality performance possible," he said.

Next month, Han plans to perform with Orchestre Philharmonique Luxembourg under the baton of Gustavo Gimeno.

He said the upcoming concert that presents "Dvorakk Cello Concerto" and "Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5" will be one of his best performances of this year. The orchestra will tour Seoul, Incheon, Jinju and Daegu from May 24-28.

"I had already watched (Gimeno's) performance on YouTube, so I didn't hesitate to accept the proposal," he said. "As its repertoire includes some of my favorite lists, I am looking forward to playing with the orchestra."

Han enjoys improvising on the cello and listens to a wide variety of music, and these days he listens to symphonies by Brahms, Mahler and Bruckner to study ways to achieve a rich sound.

"I like producing a deep, resonant sound while playing the cello, and that's what I aim for," he said.

After wrapping up his collaboration with the Luxembourg orchestra, Han plans to depart for Germany to attend Kronberg Academy. He will study with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt for a professional studies program.

Han said he would be honored to take the stage with the Berliner Philharmoniker, one of the top orchestras in the world, and other esteemed artists in the future, but his ultimate goal is not becoming a superstar cellist.

"If I can perform with sincerity and pure passion in front of people who come to listen to my music with genuine interest, then I can call myself a real musician," he said.

ejkim@yna.co.kr
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