Ji-Yong

A truly extraordinary artist, pianist Ji-Yong has both an awe-inspiring technique and a musical depth well beyond his 14 years.

In 2001 at the age of ten, Ji-Yong became the youngest pianist ever to win the New York Philharmonic Young Artists Competition. He subsequently made his debut with the New York Philharmonic performing Mozart's Piano Concerto in D Minor, K. 466 under the baton of Kurt Masur. In addition to his performance at Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic, Ji-Yong has performed at such venues including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center with the New Jersey Symphony and in recital at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall and the Sheremetev Palace in Russia.

Past orchestral engagements include performances with the Bangor Symphony, Cape Symphony, Charlotte Philharmonic, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Fairfax Symphony, Fox Valley Symphony, Nashua Symphony, New York Sinfonietta, Northwest Sinfonietta and Santa Rosa Symphony. Orchestral highlights of his 2005-2006 season include performances with the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, New Haven Symphony, Peoria Symphony and the South Carolina Philharmonic.

Ji-Yong has made numerous recital appearances including on the Artist Ascending series in Memphis, Matinee Musicale in Cincinnati, and at the Lyric Theatre in Stuart, FL, Manship Theatre in Baton Rouge, LA and Steinway Hall in New York. His recital at William Jewell College in Kansas City was deemed as one of the top five arts events of the city in 2004 by the Kansas City Star: "[Ji-Yong] proceeded to play the most beautiful recital I've heard this year . . . His playing has its own personality and character. It has a point of view that is distinctly his, and that is fresh." Future recitals include performances at the University of Wyoming at Laramie, Performing Arts Society of Acadiana in Lafayette, LA and reengagements with the Miami International Piano Festival and at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh.

After beginning his piano studies in his native Korea and winning first prize in both the Chopin and Eum-Yeon competitions, Ji-Yong and his family came to the United States and enrolled in the Music Preparatory Division of Mannes College, studying with Yuri Kim. He is currently a student of Yoheved Kaplinsky at the Juilliard School and is in the ninth grade at Ramapo High School.

Ji-Yong will be presented in our Prodigies and Masters of Tomorrow program for the 3 rd time on a special concert on April 18 at the Amaturo Theater, Broward Center for the Performing Arts. We are honored to be able to follow the career of this extraordinary virtuoso. Ji-Yong was featured in our first documentary of this series which was broadcast by WLRN (PBS affiliate) last spring.