South Korean violinist Park Sueye emerged victorious at the 13th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, held in Helsinki, Finland, on May 29. At just 25 years old, Park became the second Korean artist to win this esteemed contest, following Yang In-mo’s groundbreaking victory in 2022.
Established in 1965 to mark the centennial of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s birth, this competition takes place every five years and is renowned as one of the most rigorous and celebrated violin contests worldwide. Past champions include luminaries such as Viktoria Mullova, Leonidas Kavakos, and Sergey Khachatryan.
After being announced as the winner, Park expressed her elation: “Winning the Sibelius Competition is incredibly meaningful to me. This journey allowed me to convey my music deeply, and I’m truly grateful for the support along the way. It still feels surreal.”
Although this marks her first major international competition triumph, Park has already distinguished herself in the classical music scene with five acclaimed albums. Her debut, featuring Paganini’s 24 Caprices, was released in 2017 when she was just sixteen.
In a May 2023 interview with The Korea Herald, Park reflected on her growth as both a performer and educator. She described each recording as more than just an album — rather, as markers of her personal and artistic evolution. She noted, “Listening to my first album today, I hear how much I’ve changed.”
Park’s sixth album, Exil!, a solo violin collection slated for release in July by BIS Records, will showcase technically challenging works including Bartók’s Sonata for Solo Violin and selections from Ysaÿe’s Six Sonatas.
Expanding her musical pursuits beyond solo performance, Park shared that she embraces roles as educator and ensemble musician. “Performing solo brings me joy, but teaching and orchestral playing have broadened my musical perspective,” she stated.
The competition saw 40 violinists competing over several rounds from May 19 to May 25, culminating in six finalists including Park. For the final stage, she performed Oliver Knussen’s Violin Concerto Op. 30 with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.
Her prize package includes €30,000, guest performance invitations with Finland’s leading orchestras, mentorships with violinist Pekka Kuusisto and conductor-violinist John Storgards, plus a year-long loan of the 1777 Guadagnini violin “ex Sasson,” provided by Beare’s International Violin Society.
The competition’s second place was awarded to Japan’s Minami Yoshida, and third place to Claire Wells from the United States. The jury panel featured seven distinguished violinists, including Koreans Lee Sung-ju and Cho Jin-joo, the latter having been Kumho Art Hall’s artist-in-residence in 2015.
— The Violin Post Editorial Staff
