President Michael D. Higgins presents Sae Yoon Chon with first prize at the National Concert Hall

Sae Yoon Chon Wins Dublin International Piano Competition

Eoin Fleming receives prize for the highest placed Irish competitor.

Sae Yoon Chon from South Korea was announced as the winner of the 2018 Dublin International Piano Competition at the final event yesterday (29 May).

Chon, aged 22, performed Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Mogrelia. He received the highest number of first place votes (8 out of 11) in 15 years. He was also awarded the May Hannon Prize for the best performance of a work by Liszt from an earlier round of the competition.

Chon is currently studying with John O’Conor and James Anagnoson at the Glenn Gould School. He made his orchestral debut with the Cleveland Orchestra at the age of 18 and also recently won 3rd prize at the LA International Piano Competition.

Also performing at the final were Evren Ozel (USA), playing Chopin’s Concerto No. 1 in E minor, who was awarded 2nd place, as well as the Bridget Doolan Prize for the best Mozart performance in the competition and the Chopin Prize for best Chopin performance; Alexey Sychev (Russia), playing Tchaikovsky’s Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, who was awarded 3rd place; and Aristo Sham (Hong Kong) playing Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 3 in C, who was awarded 4th place and the NSO Special Prize for the best concerto performance by a finalist other than the winner.

Irish pianist Eoin Fleming from Dublin was awarded the Charles J. Brennan Prize for the highest placed Irish competitor. Fleming was the first Irish semi-finalist in 21 years and was also awarded the Key Capital Prize for the best performance of an Irish commissioned work (Deirdre Gribbin’s Unseen) in the semi-final.

Speaking of the awards, Artistic Director John O’Conor said:

This year was the highest entry in the history of the competition and it was heartening to see so many young entrants. What’s also heartening is the tremendous voluntary input, which has strengthened over the years, by what is now the big family of the Dublin International Piano Competition.