Kun-woo Paik (; born March 10, 1946, in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

) is a South Korean pianist. He has performed with multiple orchestras, including the

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

, the

BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. The ...

, and the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic.

Early life

Kun-Woo Paik was born in

. He gave his first concert, aged 10, with the Korean National Orchestra, playing

Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of N ...

Piano Concerto A piano concerto, a type of concerto, is a solo composition in the classical music genre which is composed for piano accompanied by an orchestra or other large ensemble. Piano concertos are typically virtuosic showpieces which require an advance ...

. In the following years, he performed many important works in Korea, including several local premieres such as

Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (; ; ; – ) was a Russian composer, one of the group known as "The Five (composers), The Five." He was an innovator of Music of Russia, Russian music in the Romantic music, Romantic period and strove to achieve a ...

's ''

Pictures at an Exhibition ''Pictures at an Exhibition'' is a piano suite in ten movements, plus a recurring and varied Promenade theme, written in 1874 by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky. It is a musical depiction of a tour of an exhibition of works by architect and ...

''. Later he studied in New York (

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

), London, and Italy with Rosina Lhévinne,

Ilona Kabos Ilona Kabos (7 December 189327 May 1973) was a Hungarian-British pianist and teacher. Biography Kabos was born Ilona Rosenberg to a Jewish family in Budapest in 1893 (some sources give her year of birth as 1894, 1898 or 1902). She studied at the ...

Guido Agosti Guido Agosti (11 August 19012 June 1989) was an Italian pianist and piano teacher. Agosti was born in Forlì in 1901. He studied piano with Ferruccio Busoni, Bruno Mugellini and Filippo Ivaldi, earning his diploma at age 13. He studied counter ...

and

Wilhelm Kempff Wilhelm Walter Friedrich Kempff (25 November 1895 – 23 May 1991) was a German pianist, teacher and composer. Although his repertoire included Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt and Brahms, Kempff was particularly well known for his interp ...

. Kun-Woo Paik is a laureate of the

Naumburg Naumburg () is a town in (and the administrative capital of) the district Burgenlandkreis, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany. It has a population of around 33,000. The Naumburg Cathedral became a UNES ...

and Busoni International Piano Competitions.

Career

Over the years, Kun-Woo Paik has performed recitals in major musical centres such as the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

Wigmore Hall The Wigmore Hall is a concert hall at 36 Wigmore Street, in west London. It was designed by Thomas Edward Collcutt and opened in 1901 as the Bechstein Hall; it is considered to have particularly good building acoustics, acoustics. It specialis ...

, and

Berlin Philharmonie The () is a concert hall in Berlin, Germany, and home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The Philharmonie lies on the south edge of the city's Tiergarten and just west of the former Berlin Wall. The Philharmonie is on Herbert-von-Karajan- ...

. He has performed with such orchestras as the

, the

(''Last Night of the Proms'' 1987),

Pittsburgh Symphony The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra is resident at Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District. Since 2008, the orchestra's music director is Manfred Ho ...

Russian National Orchestra The Russian National Orchestra () was founded in Moscow in 1990 by pianist and conductor Mikhail Pletnev. It was the first Russian orchestra to perform at the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City and in Israel. History The RNO's first recording (1991 ...

, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic,

Orchestre de Paris The Orchestre de Paris () is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra currently performs most of its concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris. History In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du ...

Orchestre National de France The Orchestre National de France (; ; abbr. ONF) is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since 1975), the ONF performs mainly in the Grand ...

Ensemble Orchestral de Paris The Orchestre de chambre de Paris (OCP) is a French chamber orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra performs throughout Paris with concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris, where it is a resident ensemble, and also at such venues as the Théâtre des ...

, Rai Torino, Warsaw Philharmonic,

English Chamber Orchestra The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and their ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall. With a limited performance size, the orchestra spe ...

, and Polish National Radio Orchestra, with such conductors as

Mariss Jansons Mariss Ivars Georgs Jansons (14 January 1943 – 1 December 2019) was a Latvian Conducting, conductor, best known for his interpretations of Gustav Mahler, Mahler, Richard Strauss, Strauss, and Russian composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, ...

, Sir

Neville Marriner Sir Neville Marriner, (15 April 1924 – 2 October 2016) was an English conductor and violinist. Described as "one of the world's greatest conductors", Gramophone lists Marriner as one of the 50 greatest conductors and another compilation ra ...

, Lawrence Foster,

Mikhail Pletnev Mikhail Vasilievich Pletnev (, ''Mikha'il Vas'ilevič Plet'nëv''; born 14 April 1957) is a Russian pianist, conductor and composer. Life and career Pletnev was born into a musical family in Arkhangelsk, then part of the Soviet Union. His fath ...

, Dmitri Kitayenko,

James Conlon James Conlon (born March 18, 1950) is an American conductor. He is currently the music director of Los Angeles Opera and principal conductor of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra. Early years Conlon grew up in a family of five children on Che ...

, John Nelson, and

Eliahu Inbal Eliahu Inbal (; born 16 February 1936, Jerusalem) is an Israeli conductor. Inbal has enjoyed a career of international renown, conducting leading orchestras around the worlHe has conducted a wide variety of works. He is best known for his interpr ...

. Kun-Woo Paik is also a regular guest artist at major music festivals such as the Berlin Festwochen,

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...

La Roque-d'Anthéron La Roque-d'Anthéron (; Provençal: ''La Ròca d'Antarron'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southern France. Part of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, it is located on the d ...

, Colmar, Spoleto, Aldeburgh, "Mostly Mozart" and Ravinia Festivals, and has toured extensively in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Italy. His repertoire comprises such rare works as

Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary ...

, Fauré's ''Fantasy for piano and orchestra'' and

Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most pro ...

's ''Fantasy on themes from

Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

's "

Lélio ''Lélio, ou Le retour à la vie'' (English: ''Lélio, or the Return to Life''), Op. 14b, is a work incorporating music and spoken text by the French composer Hector Berlioz, intended as a sequel to his '' Symphonie fantastique''. It is written ...

"''. Kun-Woo Paik also performs a wide selection of transcriptions by Liszt and Berlioz and is the dedicatee of Suk-Hi Kang's piano concerto. Paik has recorded the complete

Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

piano concertos with

Antoni Wit Antoni Wit (born 7 February 1944) is a Polish conductor, composer, lawyer and professor at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music. Between 2002 and 2013, he served as the artistic director of the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra. Life a ...

and the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra for RCA (Diapason d'Or in 1993), the complete

Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of ...

piano concertos with

Vladimir Fedoseyev Vladimir Ivanovich Fedoseyev (; born 5 August 1932, in Leningrad, Soviet Union) is a Soviet and Russian conductor, accordionist, teacher. People's Artist of the USSR (1980). Laureate of the USSR State Prize (1989) and the Glinka State Prize of ...

and the

Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra The Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra is a Russian classical music radio orchestra established in 1930. It was founded as the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, and served as the official symphony for the Soviet All-Union Radio network. History Foll ...

(BMG), as well as several solo CDs of

Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin, scientific transliteration: ''Aleksandr Nikolaevič Skrjabin''; also transliterated variously as Skriabin, Skryabin, and (in French) Scriabine. The composer himselused the French spelling "Scriabine" which was a ...

, Liszt, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff and

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...

piano music. In 2000, he signed an exclusive recording contract with Decca Classics. His first release featured the piano transcriptions of the organ works of J. S. Bach made by Busoni. Between 2005 and 2007, Decca recorded Paik in the complete piano sonatas of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

. He was the Artistic Director of the Emerald Coast Music Festival in

Dinard Dinard (; , ; Gallo: ''Dinard'') is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, northwestern France. Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a holiday destination, and this has resul ...

(

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

) for 21 years, from 1993 to 2014. He programmed a large range of music, from baroque, through romantic, and contemporary music; performed by top international artists to a large audience, and notably with free outdoor concerts, concerts for children, and concerts with young virtuosi. In November 2014, he was fired from this position by the Mayor of

, Martine Craveia-Schütz, to be replaced by the Egyptian pianist

Ramzi Yassa Ramzi Yassa (; born 1948) is an Egyptian pianist. Born in Cairo, Yassa is an outstanding member of the first batch of musicians trained at the Cairo Conservatory. Yassa then joined the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow in the class of Sergei Doren ...

; Kun-Woo Paik expressed in a long letter to the Mayor of Dinard his "stupefaction and deep sorrow". Kun-Woo Paik was made "Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des lettres" by the French Government in 2000. In September 2000, he was the first Korean artist to be officially invited to perform in China.

Personal life

Paik has resided in Paris with his wife, actress

Yoon Jeong-hee Yoon Jeong-hee (; July 30, 1944 – January 19, 2023) was a South Korean actress and beauty pageant titleholder who competed at Miss Korea 1964. She debuted in 1967 in ''Theatre of Youth''. She appeared in about 330 films, and her better known ...

since 1974. Yoon is a star of the late 1960s, commonly referred to as one of ''"The First Troika"'' by the South Korean news media, along with two other actresses in rivalry, Moon Hee, and Nam Jeong-im. The couple has a daughter, Paik Jin-hi, who is a violinist.

Discography

*2020 Schumann - DG *2018 Chopin: The Complete Nocturnes - DG *2012

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...

Intermezzi - DG *2010 Brahms Piano Concerto No.1, Variations; ; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor

- DG *2008 The complete piano sonatas of

issued in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. *2007 Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 27 to 32 - Decca *2006 Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 1 to 15 - Decca *2005 Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 16 to 26 - Decca *2003 Chopin: Complete works for piano and orchestra; Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor

- Decca *2002 Fauré Piano works -

Diapason d'Or The Diapason d'Or (French for "Golden Tuning Fork") is a recommendation of outstanding (mostly) classical music recordings given by reviewers of '' Diapason'' magazine in France, broadly equivalent to "Editor's Choice", "Disc of the Month" in the ...

award - Decca *2001 Hahn Works for two pianos, with Hüseyin Sermet -

Naïve Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may ...

V4902 *2000 J.S. Bach: Piano works in transcriptions by

- Toccata BW564, 10 chorale preludes, Chaconne BW1004 - Decca *2000 Piano works by

Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

, Poulenc and Satie - EMI Music *1998

: Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra *1998

: ''

Songs Without Words ''Songs Without Words'' (') is a series of short lyrical piano works by the Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn written between 1829 and 1845. His sister, Fanny Mendelssohn, and other composers also wrote pieces in the same genre. Music The ...

'' *1996

: Piano works *1994

: Complete Piano Concertos *1993 Schmitt: Three rhapsodies for two pianos, Op. 53, with Huseyin Sermet - Auvidis *1992 Mendelssohn: ''Songs Without Words'' -

award - Dante *1992 Rachmaninoff: The 4 piano concertos, ''

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini The ''Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini'', Op. 43, (, ''Rapsodiya na temu Paganini'') is a concertante work written by Sergei Rachmaninoff for piano and orchestra, closely resembling a piano concerto, all in a single movement. Rachmaninoff wrote ...

'' - RCA *1992 Rachmaninoff: Piano sonatas 1 and 2 -

award - Dante *1992 Prokofiev: Piano Sonatas 6, 7 and 8 -

award - Dante *1992

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

: Complete Piano Works *1992 Scriabin: Piano works

award - Dante *1992 Scriabin: Sonata Nos 6 and 9 and other piano works -

award - Dante *1991 Prokofiev: The 5 Piano concertos; Polish National Radio Orchestra - Disque d'or - Prix Nouvelle ~Académie du Disque - 2CD Naxos *1991

: Piano works and music by French composers ( Poulenc, Debussy, Satie) 2 CD - Virgin *1991 Ravel: The works for solo piano -

award - Dante *1983 Ravel: Piano Concerto in G, Concerto for Left Hand; Stuttgart Radio Symphony, Gary Bertini, conductor - Pro Arte Sinfonia

Awards

*1971 Winner of Naumburg International Piano Competition *1992 Golden Diapason Prize (Alexander Scriabin Album) *1993 Golden Diapason Prize (Sergei Prokofiev Album) *2000

Ho-Am Prize in the Arts The Ho-Am Prize was established in 1990 by Lee Kun-hee, Kun-Hee Lee, the Chairman of Samsung, with a vision to create a new corporate culture that continues the noble spirit of public service espoused by the late Chairman Byung-chull Lee, founder ...

*2009 Kyung-Ahm Prize *2010 Order of Cultural Merit "Kun Woo Paik is awarded Order of Merit,"
ICA International Classical Artists (UK). 3 December 2010, citin
"Pianist Paik Kun-woo honored,"
''Korea Herald'' (ROK). 2 November 2010, retrieved 2011-04-22

References

External links

at Bach-Cantata.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Paik, Kun-Woo South Korean classical pianists South Korean Roman Catholics Juilliard School alumni Musicians from Seoul 1946 births Living people Recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit (South Korea) 21st-century South Korean classical pianists Recipients of the Ho-Am Prize in the Arts