Classical sounds conquer Duisburg: concerts with top pianists!

Classical sounds conquer Duisburg: concerts with top pianists!

On July 1, 2025, the Folkwang University of the Arts is announcing an exciting concert program that will extend over several days on the Duisburg campus. The talented South Korean pianist Yonggi Woo will give a solo recital in the Small Concert Hall on July 7, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. Its program will be marked by the opening with Franz Schubert's “Ständchen” from “Schwanengesang” (p. 560, transcription by Franz Liszt). He also presents the “Three Sonnets by Petrarch” (p. 161) and plays “Alt-Wiener Tanzwiese No. 3” by Fritz Kreisler, edited by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

In addition, pieces such as Frédéric Chopin's “Nocturne in D flat major op. 62 No. 2” and the “Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor op. 58” will be performed on the same evening. A concert with piano accompaniment will follow on July 8, 2025, in which Woo will play Rachmaninoff's “Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18,” accompanied by pianist Sukyeon Kim. Admission to both events is free.

Emerging talents and their careers

Yonggi Woo is a talented pianist who won second prize at the Scottish International Piano Competition in 2023. In his career, he has also won first prizes in competitions such as the KBS KEPCO Music Competition, the Ewha Kyunghyang Competition and the Korean Chopin Competition. He made his musical debut at the age of 14 in the Kumho Young Artist Concert Series and subsequently performed in renowned concert halls, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the KBS Symphony Orchestra.

He studied at the Seoul National University and the Folkwang University of the Arts, where he is currently in the excellence course “Folkwang Konzertexamen”. He has already received several notable awards on stage, including the Folkwang Prize in the Music Division and First Prize in the Hong Kong Asia Piano Open Competition.

Jaeyoung Lee, another young pianist, will also be heard in the Small Concert Hall on July 10, 2025. The concert evening begins at 7:30 p.m. and opens with Robert Schumann's “Arabesque op. 18”. Lee will also perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Piano Sonata in B major KV 333" and Frédéric Chopin's "Ballad No. 1 in G minor Op. 23," followed by pieces by Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy and Franz Liszt.

Lee has taken piano lessons for six years and received a degree from Seoul Arts High School and a bachelor's degree from Seoul National University. He received his master's degree in 2023 at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. Among the numerous competitions in which he has participated, he achieved second prize at the Prague Spring International Music Competition in 2023.

An extraordinary conclusion

All concerts are part of the “Folkwang Konzertexamen”, one of the highest degrees offered by German music universities. This excellence course is aimed at instrumental soloists, composers and chamber music ensembles and is completed with the “Folkwang Konzertexamen” certificate. The combination of outstanding talent and the top-class program promises an unforgettable experience for music lovers in Duisburg.

Additional information about notable music competitions can be found in a comprehensive List of music competitions (classical), which includes various categories and international calls for tenders.

For information about the concert with Yonggi Woo on March 22, 2025 in the Evangelical Church of Straelen, those interested can Event page visit.