Soloist

Seong-Jin Cho

Piano

Biography – about the artist.

With an innate musicality and overwhelming talent, Seong-Jin Cho has established himself worldwide as one of the leading pianists of his generation and most distinctive artists on the current music scene. His thoughtful and poetic, assertive and tender, virtuosic, and colourful playing can combine panache with purity and is driven by an impressive natural sense of balance.

Seong-Jin Cho was brought to the world’s attention in 2015 when he won First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw, and his career has rapidly ascended since. In early 2016, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and in 2023 Cho was awarded the prestigious Samsung Ho-Am Prize in the Arts, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the world of classical music. An artist high in demand, Cho works with the world's most prestigious orchestras including Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, New York Philharmonic and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductors he regularly collaborates with include Myung-Whun Chung, Gustavo Dudamel, Andris Nelsons, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Simon Rattle, Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Lahav Shani.


Highlights of Seong-Jin Cho’s 2023/24 season include his anticipated debut at the Salzburger Festspiele with the Mozarteumorchester and Ivor Bolton, and his return to London’s BBC Proms with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Santtu-Matias Rouvali. He notably returns to the Concertgebouworkest, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra, giving performances in both Boston and Carnegie Hall, and makes anticipated debuts with The Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco and Chicago Symphony Orchestras. A highly sought-after touring soloist, Cho embarks on several international tours, including with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Kirill Petrenko in Korea, and with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Andris Nelsons in Korea and Japan. He also performs with the National Symphony Orchestra Washington and Gianandrea Noseda throughout Europe in Spring 2024.

An active recitalist very much in demand, Seong-Jin Cho appears in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls including the main stage of Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Berliner Philharmonie, Musikverein Wien, Konzerthaus Wien, Prinzregententheater München, Barbican London, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Walt Disney Hall Los Angeles, Festival International de piano de la Roque d'Anthéron, and Verbier Festival. During the coming season he is engaged to perform solo recitals at halls including the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, KKL Luzern, Sala Santa Cecilia, Megaron Athens and Carnegie Hall.

Seong-Jin Cho's latest recording is his solo album entitled The Handel Project, released in February 2023, and in August 2021, he released Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Scherzi with the London Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda for Deutsche Grammophon. He had previously recorded his first album with the same orchestra and conductor featuring Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 as well as the Four Ballades. His solo album titled The Wanderer was released in May 2020 and features Schubert’s “Wanderer” Fantasy, Berg’s Piano Sonata op. 1 and Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor. A solo Debussy recital was also released in November 2017, followed by a Mozart album with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Yannick Nézet-Séguin in 2018. All albums have been released on the Yellow Label and have garnered impressive critical acclaim worldwide.

Born in 1994 in Seoul, Seong-Jin Cho started learning the piano at the age of six and gave his first public recital aged 11. In 2009, he became the youngest-ever winner of Japan’s Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. In 2011, he won Third Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at the age of 17. From 2012-2015 he studied with Michel Béroff at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. Seong-Jin Cho is now based in Berlin.

SEASON 2023/2024


Orchestra.

London Symphony Orchestra

In autumn 2025, the London Symphony Orchestra will come to Germany for its major season tour. Sir Antonio Pappano, principal conductor, and Seong-Jin Cho, soloist on the piano, will join them.

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The next dates:

30.09.2023

The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall

Toronto

> more about the promoter

01.10.2023

National Arts Centre Ottawa

Ottawa

> more about the promoter

03.10.2023

Bergen Performing Arts Center

Englewood

> more about the promoter

07.10.2023

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Houston

> more about the promoter

08.10.2023

Jones Hall for the Performing Arts

Houston

> more about the promoter

15.10.2023

Rudolf-Oetker-Halle Bielefeld

Bielefeld

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25.10.2023

Megaron - The Athens Concert Hall Organization

Athina

> more about the promoter

27.10.2023

Sala Santa Cecilia

Roma

> more about the promoter

02.11.2023

Gewandhaus zu Leipzig

Leipzig

> more about the promoter

03.11.2023

Gewandhaus zu Leipzig

Leipzig

> more about the promoter

04.11.2023

Gewandhaus zu Leipzig

Leipzig

> more about the promoter

06.11.2023

Musikverein Wien

Wien

> more about the promoter

12.11.2023

Seoul Arts Center

Seoul

> more about the promoter

15.11.2023

Seoul Arts Center

Seoul

17.11.2023

Daegu Concert House

Daegu

21.11.2023

Suntory Hall

Tokyo

24.11.2023

WeiWuYing National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts

Kaohsiung

> more about the promoter

25.11.2023

National Concert Hall Taipei

Taipei City

> more about the promoter

28.11.2023

Hong Kong Cultural Centre

Hong Kong

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01.12.2023

UC Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

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03.12.2023

The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

San Diego

> more about the promoter

05.12.2023

Soka Performing Arts Center

Aliso Viejo

> more about the promoter

07.12.2023

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Los Angeles

> more about the promoter

08.12.2023

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Los Angeles

> more about the promoter

09.12.2023

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Los Angeles

> more about the promoter

10.12.2023

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Los Angeles

> more about the promoter

12.12.2023

The Granada Theatre

Santa Barbara

> more about the promoter

05.01.2024

Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam

Amsterdam

> more about the promoter

07.01.2024

Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam

Amsterdam

> more about the promoter

11.01.2024

Symphony Hall

Boston

> more about the promoter

12.01.2024

Symphony Hall

Boston

> more about the promoter

13.01.2024

Symphony Hall

Boston

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18.01.2024

Davies Symphony Hall

San Francisco

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19.01.2024

Davies Symphony Hall

San Francisco

> more about the promoter

20.01.2024

Davies Symphony Hall

San Francisco

> more about the promoter

25.01.2024

The John F. Kennedy Center

Washington

26.01.2024

The John F. Kennedy Center

Washington

27.01.2024

The John F. Kennedy Center

Washington

29.01.2024

Carnegie Hall Corp.

New York

02.02.2024

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County

Miami

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03.02.2024

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County

Miami

> more about the promoter

04.02.2024

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Orlando

> more about the promoter

08.02.2024

Orchestra Hall Symphony Center

Chicago

> more about the promoter

10.02.2024

Orchestra Hall Symphony Center

Chicago

> more about the promoter

19.02.2024

Auditorio Nacional de Música

Madrid

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21.02.2024

Philharmonie Berlin

Berlin

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28.02.2024

Elbphilharmonie

Hamburg

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Your contact persons:

General Management:

Kellie Mills Chappell

+44 20 7395 09-35

kellie.mills@kdschmid.co.uk

Karen McDonald

Managing Director

+44 20 7395 09-15

karen.mcdonald@kdschmid.co.uk

General Management:

Sian Watson

+44 20 7395 09-13

sian.watson@kdschmid.co.uk

Germany, Austria, Switzerland:

Sophia Herz-Grevesmühl

+49 30 5213 702-28

sophia.herz-grevesmuehl@kdschmid.de

Abbie Harby

Artist Coordinator

+44 20 7395 09-20

abbie.harby@kdschmid.co.uk

Senior Consultant Artists & Projects:

Ute Fesquet

+49 172 4542393

ute.fesquet@gmail.com

Listen, See & feel the music.

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Need more material? Feel free to ask:

Abbie Harby

Artist Coordinator

+44 20 7395 09-20

abbie.harby@kdschmid.co.uk

Senior Consultant Artists & Projects:

Ute Fesquet

+49 172 4542393

ute.fesquet@gmail.com

Discography.

The Handel Project

Handel-Suites & Brahms-Variations

02.2023, Deutsche Grammophon, CD

> Amazon > iTunes

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 - Scherzi

London Symphony Orchestra, Gianandrea Noseda

08.2021, Deutsche Grammophon, CD

> Amazon > iTunes

The Wanderer

Schubert, Berg, Liszt

05.2020, Deutsche Grammophon, CD

> Amazon > iTunes

Mozart

Piano Concerto No. 20 K 466; Sonatas K 281 and K 332

11.2018, Deutsche Grammophon, CD

> Amazon > iTunes

Debussy

Images, Children's Corner, Suite bergamasque, L'Isle jouyeuse

11.2017, Deutsche Grammophon, CD

> Amazon > iTunes

News.

Seong-Jin Cho returns to the London Philharmonia

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Seong-Jin Cho returns to the BBC Proms

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Seong-Jin Cho debuts at the Salzburger Festspiele 2023

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Kazuki Yamada and Seong-Jin Cho to tour Japan

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Seong-Jin Cho steps in with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra

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Seong-Jin Cho on Tour with Academy of St Martin in the Fields

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BBC Proms programm anouncement

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Seong-Jin Cho returns to the Czech Philharmonic with world premiere of Thierry Escaich’s Symphonic Etudes

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Seong-Jin Cho on tour in Japan and Korea with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra

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Summer Festivals 2022

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Seong-Jin Cho in Korea

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Press.

„“Cho mastered the first movement [Tchaikovsky] with youthful vigour and tamed energy, without superficial virtuosity and grand gestures, but with astonishing technique and accuracy.”“

Online Merker, Ingrid Gerk, 27.02.2023

„[…] an absolute master of clarifying textures with multiple shades of colour and touch; an expert juggler too, able to respect baroque sprightliness while also using a modern piano’s resources to warm and expand the music’s aura.“

The Times, Geoff Brown, 22.02.2023

„Cho revelled in the charm and endless variety of textures and dancelike rhythms, rising to the occasion at every turn, an inspired performance of a work that demands nothing less.“

Bachtrack, Chris Garlick, 14.02.2023

„The young soloist’s own superb technique—and restrain—was on display.“

Boston Classical Review, Andrew J. Sammut, 06.03.2020

„The South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho […] proved a soloist of real poise and refinement […], never lapsing into sentimentality, even when the gracious slow movement felt like the autumn-tinged elegy that the occasion required.“

The Guardian, Stephen Pritchard, 26.08.2018