Composer Chin Unsuk has been named the grand prize winner of the 14th Daewon Music Awards, the Daewon Cultural Foundation said Wednesday.
Pianist Sunwoo Yekwon received the performance prize, while violinist Kim Seohyun was selected for the rookie award.
Established in 2006 by the Daewon Cultural Foundation, the Daewon Music Awards recognize Korean musicians and classical music organizations that have made significant contributions to the field. The grand prize winner receives 100 million won ($67,000), while the winners of the performance and rookie awards each receive 30 million won.
Chin, one of the most internationally recognized Korean composers, has built a major presence in contemporary classical music through works performed by leading orchestras and ensembles around the world.
Her honors include the Grawemeyer Award in 2004, the Arnold Schonberg Prize in 2005, the Prince Pierre of Monaco Musical Composition Prize in 2010, the Ho-Am Prize in the Arts in 2012, the Wihuri Sibelius Prize in 2017, the Hamburg Bach Prize in 2019, the Marie-Josee Kravis Prize in 2020 and the Leonie Sonning Music Prize in 2021.
In 2024, Chin received the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, one of the most prestigious honors in classical music. The following year, the Berlin Philharmonic’s “Chin Unsuk Edition” won the contemporary music category at the International Classical Music Awards. In 2026, she became the first Korean to be named a laureate of the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the music and opera category.
Sunwoo, winner of the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, was recognized for his continued activity on international stages and in recordings. Before his Cliburn victory, he won several major competitions, including the International German Piano Award in 2015, the Vendome Prize at the Verbier Festival in 2014, the Sendai International Music Competition in 2013 and the William Kapell International Piano Competition in 2012.
Kim Seohyun, 17, was selected for the rookie award as one of the most closely watched young violinists in Korea. She made her debut through the Kumho Prodigy Concert series in 2020, and gained international attention in 2023 when she became the youngest-ever winner of the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition in Switzerland at age 14.
The Daewon Music Awards selected this year’s winners through a two-stage recommendation and review process. After the foundation prepared an initial list of candidates, more than 300 classical music professionals — including musicians, educators, critics and journalists — took part in a second round of recommendations. The final winners were chosen by a judging panel based on their achievements at home and abroad.
This year’s jury was chaired by Shin Soo-jung, professor emeritus at Seoul National University. The panel included Kim Hyun-mi, professor emeritus at Korea National University of Arts; Park Eun-hee, head of the Korea Festival Ensemble; bass-baritone Samuel Youn, professor at Seoul National University; and Hong Seung-chan, professor at Korea National University of Arts.
The awards ceremony will be held June 8 at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Josun Seoul.
gypark@heraldcorp.com
