{"id":387823,"date":"2025-06-27T09:12:30","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T15:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/?p=387823"},"modified":"2025-08-07T15:28:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T21:28:15","slug":"hayoung-choi-competition-winner-on-road-to-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/hayoung-choi-competition-winner-on-road-to-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Hayoung Choi: Competition Winner On Road to Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interview by Kyle Macmillan<\/em><\/p>\n

One often-followed path to classical-music success is the field\u2019s network of high-profile and high-pressure international competitions, which can bring instant recognition to the winners and quickly ignite a professional career.<\/span><\/p>\n

South Korean cellist Hayoung Choi<\/strong> followed that formula to a tee, winning first prize at the 2022 edition of the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, Belgium. Its jury featured such heavy-hitters on the instrument as Gautier Capu\u00e7on, Mischa Maisky and Sharon Robinson.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a transformative experience,\u201d said Choi who is now 27. \u201cIt opened many doors, not only in terms of international performance opportunities but also in giving me the artistic freedom to shape my own programs and collaborate with musicians I deeply admire. It marked the beginning of a new chapter, with greater creative autonomy and exciting challenges.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A Spotlight Performance at the Colorado Music Festival<\/h3>\n

Colorado Music Festival<\/a> audiences will have a chance to hear this fresh talent Sunday, July 20, at 6:30 pm<\/a> when she joins guest conductor Maurice Cohn<\/a> for a program that includes one of the most beloved works ever for cello and orchestra \u2013 Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky\u2019s <\/span>Variations on a Rococo Theme<\/span><\/i>, Op. 33, the Fitzenhagen edition.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Charm and Challenge of Tchaikovsky\u2019s Rococo<\/em><\/h3>\n

Its title is a bit confusing as Tchaikovsky, who also composed such popular works as the <\/span>1812 Overture<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>The Nutcracker<\/span><\/i>, did not use a pre-existing theme from the mid-18<\/span>th<\/span>-century rococo period, a transitional time from the Baroque to the Classical eras.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, the 19<\/span>th<\/span>-century Russian composer wrote his own theme in the rococo style, which put an emphasis on lightness and refinement, and he was especially looking back to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who wrote in the rococo style early in his career.<\/span><\/p>\n

Composed in 1876-77, this 20-minute work is composed of a main theme and seven variations, and offers multiple challenges to the soloist, including playing almost non-stop throughout and often in high register. Choi learned the piece when she was 11 and performed it with an orchestra a year or so later.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s elegant, virtuosic and full of charm,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u201cTchaikovsky\u2019s love for Mozart comes through in a way that\u2019s both playful and lyrical, and there\u2019s a joyful spirit in how he brings Classical grace to life through a Romantic lens.\u00a0Performing it in Colorado\u2019s vibrant summer setting feels like a perfect match.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A Globally Shaped Musical Journey<\/h3>\n

Choi was born in Bielefeld, Germany, but moved with her South Korean parents back to their homeland to attend elementary school and begin taking cello lessons. When she was 11, she undertook studies with noted soloists Myung-wha Chung and Hyoung Won Chang at the Korean National University of Arts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur home was always filled with music,\u201d Choi said, \u201cMy parents aren\u2019t musicians themselves, but they\u2019re classical music lovers, and that passion was passed on to me and my two sisters – both of whom play violin. I explored many forms of expression \u2013 I played harp, sang, performed in musicals, painted and figure skated. But the cello\u2019s voice spoke to me in a very personal way, and it gradually became the heart of my artistic world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her somewhat nomadic childhood continued with middle school studies at England\u2019s Purcell School of Young Musicians and then a return to Germany when she was 16. Choi earned her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in music in 2016 and \u201817 respectively from Germany\u2019s Kronberg Academy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up in such diverse cultural and educational environments has had a big influence on me,\u201d Choi said. \u201cNot only musically but also in how I adapt and connect with people across different contexts.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Falling in Love with Baroque<\/h3>\n

She has continued her studies since, including time at the <\/span>Reina Sof\u00eda School of Music<\/span><\/a> under <\/span>Ivan Monighetti<\/span><\/a> in Spain. Choi is currently based in Berlin and is studying baroque cello in the early-music department at the University of Arts Berlin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile I feel deeply connected to the 20th-century and Romantic repertoire, I\u2019ve developed a strong love for Baroque music,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a clarity and rhetorical expressiveness in it that invites an intimate kind of storytelling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Introducing the Ex-Starker: A Voice of Its Own<\/h3>\n

Choi performs on a loaned 1707 cello, known as the <\/span>Ex-Starker<\/span><\/i>, by Joseph Guarnerius filius Andreae (1666-1739 or \u201840), the father of Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu, the most famous of the Guarneri family\u2019s line of violin makers and a professional rival of Antonio Stradivari.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis Guarneri cello is truly my voice,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a remarkable instrument \u2013 rich in color, full of depth and capable of both incredible power and the most delicate nuance. Every time I play it, it reveals something new. It\u2019s a constant inspiration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Touring the U.S. and Her First Visit to Colorado<\/h3>\n

The cellist usually comes to the United States twice each year, and her trip to Colorado will be her second visit to the country in 2024-25. Her coming season includes September performances of Brahms\u2019 Double Concerto with Maurice Cohn and the West Virginia Symphony<\/a>, where he is music director, and Beethoven\u2019s Triple Concerto with the Baltimore Symphony<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year, Choi performed at Los Angeles\u2019 Hollywood Bowl and was dazzled by the \u201celectric atmosphere\u201d and the historic venue. \u201cSummer festivals in the U.S. have a unique energy and sense of openness that I really enjoy,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Excited for the Mountains and Music<\/h3>\n

Her visit to the Festival will be her first ever to the state. \u201cI\u2019m excited not only to perform but also to experience the natural beauty of the region,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing surrounded by the mountains and such a majestic landscape adds something deeply inspiring to the artistic experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hayoung Choi performs at the Colorado Music Festival on Sunday, July 20, at 6:30 pm MT.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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For Festival details & tickets ><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interview by Kyle Macmillan One often-followed path to classical-music success is the field\u2019s network of high-profile and high-pressure international competitions, which can bring instant recognition to the winners and quickly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":387825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[382],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-387823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=387823"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/387823\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/387825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=387823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=387823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradomusicfestival.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=387823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}