Drawing the Music Redefines the Classical Competition Final

[News Culture] Four young classical musicians will compete for the top prize at the sixth Drawing the Music Competition in Seoul on November 10, with each finalist presenting a recital-length program designed to assess both technical proficiency and the ability to sustain a complete concert performance.

Organized by Drawing the Music and PROJECT ITDA, the competition's final round and awards ceremony will take place at Geoam Art Hall at 7:30 p.m. The finalists, selected through preliminary and main rounds, represent violin, voice and piano. No contestant advanced to the final round from the wind instrument division.

The four musicians are violinist Hwang A-young, a sixth-grade student at Mujeong Elementary School; baritone Jung Chan-woo, a third-year student at Seoul National University; soprano Hong Ye-bin, a fourth-year student at the same university; and pianist Lee Yun-seo, a fifth-grade student at Daejeon Sangwon Elementary School.

Photo courtesy of Drawing the Music.

A Final Round Built Around Complete Recital Programs

Unlike competitions that assess performances of individual prescribed works, the Drawing the Music final requires each contestant to present a program lasting approximately 20 to 25 minutes. The format places emphasis on repertoire selection, interpretation, musical continuity and stage presentation alongside instrumental or vocal technique.

The finalists have selected programs that reflect their respective musical interests and approaches to performance.

Violinist Hwang A-young will perform Edvard Grieg's Violin Sonata No. 2 and Pablo de Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy. The two works present contrasting technical and interpretive demands, combining Grieg's lyrical writing with the virtuosic passagework and operatic themes of Sarasate's composition.

Baritone Jung Chan-woo's program includes Jang Il-nam's Sin-Gosan Taryeong alongside vocal works by Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner and Jules Massenet. The repertoire brings Korean art song into dialogue with the German and French vocal traditions.

Soprano Hong Ye-bin will present selections by George Frideric Handel, Kim Sun-nam and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, requiring adjustments in vocal style and expression across different musical periods.

Pianist Lee Yun-seo will perform Frédéric Chopin's Scherzo No. 3 and Maurice Ravel's Jeux d'eau, among other works. The program pairs Chopin's dramatic contrasts and demanding passagework with Ravel's intricate textures and exploration of piano sonority.

The final result will be determined by a combination of professional adjudication and audience participation. Jury scores will account for 80 percent of the assessment, with the remaining 20 percent drawn from audience evaluations. The format gives listeners a formal role in selecting the grand prize winner while maintaining the emphasis on specialist musical judgment.

The competition does not automatically award its highest honor. At the fifth edition in 2025, no grand prize was presented because none of the finalists met the required standard.

Bass-baritone Samuel Youn, a professor at Seoul National University and general director of PROJECT ITDA, will chair the jury. Youn has led the competition's adjudication since 2023, drawing on an international operatic career. Earlier rounds were also assessed by panels composed primarily of university music faculty.

Previous Winners Establish International Careers

The competition's organizers place particular emphasis on what happens after prizes are awarded. Previous grand prize recipients have gone on to achieve results at international competitions and pursue advanced musical training abroad.

Flutist Evelyn Chayeun Kim, winner of the inaugural competition, placed fourth at the International Theobald Böhm Competition and second at the Severino Gazzelloni International Flute Competition. She is currently studying at the Mozarteum University Salzburg.

Violinist Kim Hyun-seo, the second edition's grand prize winner, received second prize at the 2024 Gian Battista Viotti International Music Competition. She subsequently won third prize at the 2025 Premio Paganini International Violin Competition, becoming its youngest-ever prizewinner.

Pianist Lee Jueon, who won the third Drawing the Music Competition, added two international first prizes to his record in 2026. He won the junior division of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.

Clarinetist Gong Seong-min, the fourth edition's grand prize winner, is pursuing further studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.

Alongside these competition results, Drawing the Music has developed performance opportunities intended to support its laureates beyond the awards ceremony.

Since 2023, the organization has presented Winners Gala Concerts and its Competition Winner Series, providing recital opportunities for musicians at different stages of their development. Evelyn Chayeun Kim has appeared in the winner series, while Gong Seong-min performed through the Growing Up! recital initiative for emerging artists.

The 2026 grand prize winner and the top performers in the individual divisions will also receive support for recitals in 2027. The initiative is intended to provide the practical performance experience needed to move beyond competition appearances toward sustained professional activity.

Supporting Musicians Beyond the Competition Stage

The organizers also plan to expand artist development through PROJECT ITDA, connecting promising musicians with established performers and creating additional opportunities for artistic collaboration and public performance.

The approach reflects a broader distinction between competition success and professional development. Although prizes can help young performers gain recognition, establishing a concert career requires continued access to recital platforms, collaborative projects and audiences.

Drawing the Music's combination of adjudication, follow-up concerts and artist development initiatives is intended to address that transition. The competition serves as an initial point of assessment, with subsequent programs providing opportunities for performers to develop their repertoire and stage experience.

Youn emphasized that the value of a competition extends beyond its final rankings, noting that the experience of preparation and performance can be as important to a young musician's development as the result itself. He also encouraged audiences to participate in the final round and discover the different musical qualities of the four contestants.

The November 10 final will therefore serve two purposes: selecting the sixth competition's grand prize winner and evaluating how effectively four emerging musicians can develop and communicate their own recital programs.

For the finalists, the event offers an opportunity to demonstrate not only individual performance skills but also the interpretive and programming decisions required of professional concert artists.

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