Yekwon Sunwoo, 21, from AnYang, Korea, entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2005 and studies with renowned pianist Seymour Lipkin. All students at Curtis receive merit-based full-tuition scholarships, and Mr. Sunwoo holds the Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest Fellowship.

Beginning his piano studies at eight years old, Yekwon was chosen out of three hundred students to receive the prestigious Music Achievement Award at Yewon Arts Middle School. He performed as a soloist with the Daegu Orchestra in 2002 and the Yewon Orchestra in 2003.

Mr. Sunwoo has participated in master classes with Peter Frankl, Anton Kuerti, Anne-Marie McDermott, Robert McDonald, Menahem Pressler, André-Michel Schub, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Fou Ts’ong, and Arie Vardi.

Yekwon made his New York City debut in 2009 performing at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as First Prize winner of the inaugural 2008 Florida International Piano Competition, where he was the youngest competitor.  His other awards include First Prize in the Concours International de Piano “Interlaken Classics,” Switzerland; First Prize in the California International Young Artists Piano Competition;  First Prize in the Daegu Broadcasting Competition; First Prize in the Ewha-Kyung Hyang Competition; and Grand Prize in the Kukmin-Ilbo/Hansei University Competition.

As soloist, Mr. Sunwoo has appeared with the Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra in Seoul. At the invitation of the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, he also performed on tour in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama.  He has attended the Summit Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Toronto Summer Music Academy and Festival, and he performed with Curtis President Roberto Diaz on the Bay Chamber Concerts summer series in 2008.  In October 2010 Mr. Sunwoo’s performance tour in Germany, the Czech Republic and Russia concluded with the recording of his solo CD with Classical Records in Moscow as part of his First Prize at the 2008 Florida International Piano Competition.