▲ Pianist Yeon-Min Park’s South African tour poster

One of South Korea's most prominent emerging artists, pianist Yeon-Min Park, who rose to fame as the runner-up in the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition last year, successfully concluded her month-long nationwide tour across major cities in South Africa in June.

▲ Yeon-Min Park performing with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra

The tour was organized by the Korean Cultural Centre in South Africa as part of their ongoing efforts to introduce Korean culture to South Africa by presenting various artists from South Korea. Park became the first Korean musician to tour all four major cities in South Africa, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, and Durban, and received enthusiastic responses from the audiences through a total of six concerts.

▲ Yeon-Min Park performing at the Pencil Club concert hall in Durban

Park made a debut in 2014 with the prestigious Kumho Young Artist Concert series in Seoul, where numerous renowned musicians have launched their careers. Since then, she has won prestigious competitions such as the Palma d'Oro International Piano Competition, Luciano Luciani International Piano Competition, Darmstadt International Chopin Competition, Lyon International Piano Competition, and George Enescu Music Competition. In particular, her international recognition soared when she achieved the runner-up position at the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, one of the most prestigious piano competitions, along with winning the Audience Award.

▲ Yeon-Min Park’s solo recital concert at the prestigious Baxter Concert Hall in Cape Town

During her tour, Park captivated South African audiences with solo recitals and performances alongside major South African orchestras such as the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, leaving a memorable impression with her powerful virtuoso and delicate expressions. The enthusiastic reception led to the addition of an extra solo recital performance and a master class in Durban.

▲ Yeon-Min Park giving a master class at Crawford International School in Durban

Park is scheduled to perform a solo concert at the Seoul Arts Center at the end of June. Additionally, she has already planned around 50 concerts for this year alone in countries such as Ecuador, France, Hungary, and the Netherlands.

▲ Yeon-Min Park receives a standing ovation from the audience after performing in Bloemfontein

The Korean Cultural Centre in South Africa intends to continue presenting various Korean artists from different fields to the South African audience. For more details on the future events, visit our website at https://sa.korean-culture.org/en.