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| Pianist Lee Hyuk / Courtesy of Etoile Classic |
By Park Ji-won
Many Koreans hoped Lee Hyuk, the Korean finalist in the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition held in October, would be triumphant as its last winner was Cho Seong-jin, also a Korean, but the trophy went to Chinese-Canadian competitor Bruce Liu.
But Lee's disappointment was short-lived. At the Concours International de Piano ― Grand Prix Animato Chopin 2021, held between Dec. 3 and 7, right after the Chopin competition, the 21-year-old won the first prize with his rendition of Fantaisie, Op. 49. The musician humbly said he didn't expect to win and was simply happy to perform for the audience.
"I never expected to win. I just enjoyed every round. I was grateful to have an opportunity to be able to communicate with the audiences in Paris with Chopin's works after the Chopin competition," Lee said during a telephone interview with The Korea Times, Friday. He was in Warsaw, Poland, to support his brother in another piano competition.
Reversing people's normal thinking that he must aim to win at multiple competitions, for him this is not the case as he believes competition is not about winning and he maintains this attitude to every event including the Chopin competition. Lee said competing is a good way for a pianist to have more performances, a chance to deliver the legacy of composers and to meet new audiences.
"My priority when entering a competition is not winning. Any competition round is the same as a recital. It has always been about delivering the legacy of composers and doing my best to do so on stage in front of the audience, which is the greatest joy of my life above many. I wanted to have more recitals which come after showing good performances and learning more works by different composers."
"I am sure the Chopin competition will be a good memory in my life. I am grateful that I got to have more supporters and Korean fans through the competition. In particular, I feel more responsible as I learned that they supported me all night long due to the time difference between Warsaw and Korea. I will take it as nourishment to become a better musician."
A multi-talented musician, who also composes musical pieces and plays the violin as well as indulging in chess and programming computer apps, Lee is currently more focused on music from around the Romantic period such as works by Brahms, Schumann and Beethoven as he feels he is getting a better understanding of them as he grows.
Lee is a student at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory and is not considering entering any other competitions at the moment, but instead plans to hold as many recitals in the upcoming year as possible, while maintaining the hope of conducting an orchestra someday.
"Thanks to the Chopin competition, I was able to have a lot of opportunities to perform. The year 2022 will be filled with performances and I will do my best at every one... One day, I also want to challenge myself to become a conductor as I like ensembles and would find it fascinating to lead a big orchestra and create harmony with the position."
Lee debuted at the Kumho Prodigy Concert in Korea in 2012. He has swept recent international piano competitions such as the 10th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (3rd prize) in 2018 and the 2nd Kiev International Piano Competition (1st prize) the same year. He is scheduled to hold a recital at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, March 16.
