Kumho Cutural Art Foundation

Since 2004, KCF has run the Kumho Musician Award in order to reward promising Korean classical musicians under 30 years of age who have demonstrated outstanding achievement.

The Kumho Musician Award is regarded as one of the highest honors in Korea that a young Korean instrumentalist can achieve. The purpose of the award is to recognize Koreans with remarkable musicianship and to encourage, as well as further support, them in their musical career. The future-oriented nature of the award also serves as a stepping stone for them to launch their careers and become internationally celebrated musicians.

The winner of the Kumho Musician Award is presented with a certificate of honor and prize money to the tune of KRW 20 million. Other perks include complimentary business class tickets courtesy of Asiana Airlines for two years. They are also entitled to hold a recital at the Kumho Art Hall. In addition, the wholehearted support of the Foundation bestows upon them regular opportunities to perform with leading orchestras at home and abroad, as well as participation in international music festivals.

KCF raised 3 billion Korean won for the Kumho Art Fund as a way to further contribute to the cultivation and nurturing of promising young talents in classical music. This sizeable donation has been transferred to the Seoul Arts Center, Korea’s largest performing arts venue.

After a long consultation between the two parties, KCF and the Seoul Arts Center agreed on how to utilize the fund in order to meet the initial objective; cultivating and developing classical music prodigies. As a result of the agreement, the 1st Seoul Arts Center Music Academy & Competition for Young Artists was born, with the inaugural competition taking place in 2009.

Differentiated from other music competitions due to its original construction, the Seoul Arts Center Music Academy & Competition for Young Artists combines the merits of both a music camp and a competition. This biennially held event is for those under the age of 20, and offers competition in three categories; piano, violin and cello. Participants further benefit from individualized instruction and coaching from a world-class faculty enabling them to hone their own craft.

The Seoul Arts Center Music Academy & Competition for Young Artists selects one prodigy from each of the three categories and then awards the ‘Kumho Grand Prize’ to the best overall performer. Recipients of the award are provided with a solo recital opportunity at the Kumho Art Hall and an opportunity to perform a concerto at one of the concerts presented by the Seoul Arts Center.

2009 The 1st Seoul Arts Center Music Academy & Competition for Young Artists:
Grand Prize Winner: Jung Eun Kim (piano); Category Winners: Bomsori Kim (violin) and Sang Eun Lee (cello)

2012 The 2nd Seoul Arts Center Music Academy & Competition for Young Artists:
Grand Prize Winner: Kyu Bin Jung (piano); Category Winners: Yoomin Seo (violin) and Hyerin Oh (cello)

2014 The 3rd Seoul Arts Center Music Academy & Competition for Young Artists:
Grand Prize Winner: Soo Been Lee (violin); Category Winners: Yonggi Woo (piano) and Dong Yeol Lee (cello)