Kyumin Park finalist of the Joseph Joachim Violin Competition in Hanover

Kyumin Park © Jeremyvisuals
Louisa Staples © Alexa Kidd

Master's student Kyumin Park is a finalist in the Joseph Joachim Violin Competition 2024 and was one of the three laureates awarded prize money of 10,000 euros. Kyumin Park studies at the Eisler with Prof. Antje Weithaas. The Joseph Joachim Prize was awarded jointly to Angela Chan from Hong Kong and Jacques Forestier from Canada. The South Korean student Kyumin Park also received the Henle Urtext Prize.

British violinist and master's student Louisa Staples, also from Prof. Antje Weithaas' class, also won the chamber music prize worth 3,000 euros as a semi-finalist, selected by the members of the Kuss Quartet. She will also receive a music management course from the karsten witt music management academy.

The competition winners are also offered a series of concert engagements with leading orchestras and event organizers. The Joseph Joachim Violin Competition is one of the most prestigious music competitions in the world. The award opens up a career as a soloist on the international concert stage for the young prizewinners.

Chaired by soprano Juliane Banse, the 2024 jury consisted of violinists Lorenza Borrani, Ning Feng, Liza Ferschtman, András Keller, Gidon Kremer and Kathrin Rabus as well as violist Kim Kashkashian, pianist Alexander Lonquich and conductor Stephan Zilias.

Kyumin Park previously studied at the renowned New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and is currently continuing his studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin with Prof. Antje Weithaas. He has taken part in master classes with Miriam Fried, Pamela Frank and Robert Levin, among others. Kyumin Park has been awarded numerous prizes, including second prize at the International Max Rostal Competition 2019 and second prize at the International Music Competition Harbin in China 2018.

Kyumin Park has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Cleveland Orchestra, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and the NEC Philharmonia in Boston and has given recitals in concert halls such as the Konzerthaus Berlin. He plays on a Dominicus Montagnana violin from 1740, which has been made available to him by the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation.