"I think he was brave to portray so many of his emotions in his music"
Chopin competition winner Seong-Jin Cho's reflections on the composer and his influence
Seong-Jin Cho was brought to the world’s attention in 2015 when he won the First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw. In January 2016, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. An artist high in demand, Cho works with the world’s most prestigious orchestras including Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchestre de Paris, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. In August 2021, Cho published his latest interpretations of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and the Scherzi with Deutsche Grammophon.
Here, he reflects on what Chopin means to him and listeners around the world.
Chopin is a very important composer for me and I’m sure for many other pianists as well. I think he was brave to portray so many of his emotions in his music, and I admire that. He is well known for his very beautiful and poetic melodies.
I will always appreciate his music and be thankful that he shared his ingenious musicality with the world.
I think there are very good reasons why Chopin is popular all around the world. His music is dramatic, nostalgic, and romantic, which there is a universal appreciation for.
My favourite Chopin piece changes frequently but right now it’s Chopin’s Preludes, Op. 28. It’s hard to explain why, but isn’t that always the case with any form of art?
For music, I couldn't imagine what the world would be without. It would be like an ocean without waves.
To simply participate in the Chopin competition was a dream since I was a child, and it was surreal performing for the first time in Warsaw. Winning the competition was incredible as I really didn’t expect to win. I was very honoured to win and grateful that it has opened up many performance opportunities for me around the world.
For the finale I played Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 in e minor, which is a piece he wrote when he was very young. I try to keep that in mind and try to take more of an innocent and pure approach rather than a too romantic one.
After all, Chopin's music is timeless. Like all classical music.
