The international promise of South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho takes center stage as the Alicante Concert Association presents the second concert of its 2022-2023 season. This Tuesday, at the Teatro Principal in Alicante, on October 25 at 20:00, he will offer a recital featuring Handel, Brahms, and Schumann.
Seong-Jin Cho, born in Seoul in 1994, has earned admiration for his prodigious talent and natural musicality, as noted by the Concert Society. At age 21, he claimed first prize at the Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition, one of the most prestigious events in the piano world. His performances are widely praised for their thoughtful poetry and an astonishing balance of tone and expression, a combination that resonates with audiences and critics alike.
Cho’s ascent began early. In 2009, he became the youngest winner of Japan’s Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. Two years later, at 17, he took third prize at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. His studies led him to Paris in 2012, where he trained at the Paris Conservatory, a path that culminated in his graduation in 2015. He now resides in Berlin, continuing his international journey with depth and focus.
Since signing an exclusive agreement in 2016 with a renowned label, Cho has maintained a meteoric international profile. This association has enabled him to perform in the world’s most celebrated concert halls and to collaborate with leading orchestras and distinguished conductors. Among his notable collaborations are appearances with conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yuri Temirkanov, Krzysztof Urbanski, Fabien Gabel, Vassily Petrenko, Jakub Hrusa, Leonard Slatkin, and Mikhail Pletnev. In November 2017, following a change in lineup, Lang Lang was replaced by Seong-Jin Cho for performances with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and Seoul.
collaborations
Recent projects include performances with the European Union Youth Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda in venues such as the Concertgebouw, Royal Albert Hall, and the Berlin Konzerthaus, with the WDR Sinfonieorchester and Marek Janowski in Germany, and with the Orquesta de Santa Cecilia and Antonio Pappano in Asia. Prolific partnerships have also featured Andrés Orozco and the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra in Japan and across Europe, reinforcing Cho’s status as a leading interpreter of the modern piano repertoire.
Other major orchestral appearances include engagements with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Orchestra of Paris, the Mariinsky Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic, the Rundfunk-Sinofonie Orchester Berlin, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Russian National Orchestra. He has also performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the NDR Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit-based orchestral entities, underscoring his broad international footprint.
Discography highlights include releases with Deutsche Grammophon, featuring Debussy, Chopin’s Ballades, and a concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. These recordings showcase Cho’s refined touch, lyrical phrasing, and a keen sense of rhythmic architecture that audiences often describe as poised and expressive.