Q

Stellar pianist Seong-Jin Cho performs, talks about the award that changed his life

The young South Korean musician is making his Toronto Symphony debut marking Beethoven's 250th birthday.

The young South Korean musician is making his Toronto Symphony debut marking Beethoven's 250th birthday

Seong-Jin Cho is a South Korean pianist who rose to fame after winning the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition. (Harald Hoffmann)

Seong-Jin Cho is one of the planet's most exciting young classical music stars. Hailing from Seoul, South Korea, the young pianist made his name early in his career, in particular after winning first prize at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw in 2015. Cho is in Canada to make his Toronto Symphony Orchestra debut for Beethoven 7, a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the composer's birthday. Cho is acclaimed for making classical works relevant to modern audiences, and today on q, he performs a beautiful Beethoven piece and talks about the joys and challenges of performing Beethoven, about his earliest years as a pianist, and about the award win that changed his life.  

Download our podcast or click the 'Listen' link above to hear the full conversation with Seong-Jin Cho.

— Produced by ​Mitch Pollock

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