Seong-Jin Cho

Born in Seoul on 28 May 1994, Seong-Jin Cho began playing piano at the age of six. His love for the instrument deepened after he began serious studies in 2004 and was fully confirmed when he gave his first public performance at eleven. In September 2008 he won the Sixth Moscow International Frederick Chopin Competition for Young Pianists and the following year took First Prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan. In 2012 he moved to Paris to study with Michel Béroff at the Conservatoire and established a new home in the French capital. Intense reflection and expressive insight are among the attributes cultivated by Seong-Jin Cho, qualities apt to connect with audiences at the deepest levels of imagination and emotion. The young South Korean pianist’s mature musicianship and refined artistry secured him First Prize at the 17th Chopin International Piano Competition in October 2015. The widespread critical acclaim that followed his victory was, notably, echoed by a wholehearted and instantly enthusiastic public response. When Deutsche Grammophon rush-released performances recorded live during the Chopin Competition, the all-Chopin album was propelled to the No.1 spot in the Korean pop chart on the strength of pre-release orders alone. Having secured triple platinum sales in Korea within a week of its release in November 2015, it rapidly went on to attract a worldwide following.