Three pianists supported by the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation's arts scholarship program — Shin Young-ho, 19, Lee Jung-woo, 18, and Lee Joo-eon, 15 — have won awards at international competitions in succession.
The foundation said on the 22nd that Shin placed second in the piano division of the 76th Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition, which closed in Vercelli, Italy, on the 17th. The result follows his second-place finish at the Dublin International Piano Competition last year. Shin, who has received the foundation's support since 2023, is studying at the École Normale de Musique de Paris.
Lee Jung-woo won the piano division of the 20th George Enescu International Competition, held in Romania last month. He performed Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in the final round, taking first place along with five special prizes including the Radu Lupu Prize and the Audience Prize. His École Normale Cortot Prize also brings a recital at the Salle Cortot in Paris during the 2028-2029 season.
Lee Joo-eon won awards at three international competitions in the United States this year. She placed first at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition in March and first in the junior division of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in June, followed by second place in the junior division of the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists in July.
The CMK Arts Scholarship, which supports the three, is a division of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Scholarship and was launched in 2011 to identify and nurture talent in the arts. It provides scholarships to students from middle school through graduate school, along with support for overseas opportunities, participation in international competitions, performance opportunities and mentoring, tailored to each stage of a recipient's development. Alumni include pianists Lim Yun-chan and Sun Yul and cellist Han Jae-min. As of the first half of this year, the program had provided a cumulative 13.8 billion won in scholarships to about 3,200 recipients.
"Growth over a long period matters more than a single award, so we will stay with them for the long haul," Chairman Chung Moo-sung said.