Alumni and undergraduates of the College of Music are receiving honors at international competitions in Europe, the birthplace of classical music. At the world-renowned 〈Queen Elizabeth Competition〉 in Belgium, Baritone Tae-han Kim (Department of Vocal Music) won the first prize. Additionally, at the 〈Prague Spring International Music Competition〉 in the Czech Republic, Juhyeon Seo (Department of Instrumental Music) received second prize in the trombone category, and Kyungsik Shin (Department of Instrumental Music) received second prize in the viola category.

On June 4th (local time), Baritone Tae-han Kim was announced as the winner of the Queen Elizabeth Competition in the vocal category which took place at the Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Belgium. Regarded as one of the world's top three music competitions, along with the Chopin Piano Competition in Poland and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia, the Queen Elizabeth Competition is held annually in various categories, including violin, piano, cello, and voice. The competition holds immense prestige, and even being among the 12 finalists is considered a significant accomplishment.

Tae-han Kim became the first male vocalist not only from Korea but also from Asia to win the prize since 1988 when the competition's voice category was first established. Having enrolled in the College of Music in 2019, Tae-han Kim graduated this year and is currently pursuing a professional program at the National Opera of Korea. Born in 2000, he is the youngest among the competition's finalists and a rising star who made his debut at the Kumho Young Artist Concert in September of the previous year. His talent and potential as a "Baritone Newbie" have garnered global attention and high expectations.

Prior to that, at the 74th Prague Spring International Music Competition held in May, trombonist Juhyeon Seo and violinist Kyungsik Shin achieved second place in their respective categories. Established in 1947, the Prague Spring International Music Competition is a part of the Prague Spring Music Festival and is open to young performers under the age of 30. Each year, two categories are selected for the competition, and this year's focus was on the trombone and viola categories.

Juhyeon Seo secured second place in the trombone category, becoming the first Korean musician to win a brass instrument category at all three international competitions (Prague, Geneva, and Munich). He gained recognition by becoming the youngest winner of the trombone category at the Dong-A Music Competition in 2020 when he was only 16 years old. After graduating from Sunhwa High School, Juhyeon Seo is currently a freshman in the Orchestral Department at the College of Music. Additionally, Kyungsik Shin, who achieved second place in the viola category, received the special prize. Notably, Kyungsik Shin is an accomplished violinist who won the International Anton Rubinstein Competition in 2022 and the Johannes Brahms International Competition in 2021. Currently, he is pursuing a master's program at the University of the Arts in Berlin after graduating with the highest honors in the string major.

Baritone Tae-han Kim (Department of Vocal Music Alumni), Juhyeon Seo (Department of Instrumental Music Undergraduate), and Kyungsik Shin (Department of Instrumental Music Alumni)

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the alumni and undergraduates of the College of Music who have been acknowledged in international competitions, thereby elevating the reputation of Korea. We eagerly anticipate the emergence of world-class talents who will continue to astonish the art world.

Translated by Seulki Yeo
(Department of Russian Language and Literature) seulkiyeo@snu.ac.kr