Lee Jeong-woo, an 18-year-old South Korean pianist, won the piano section of the 2026 George Enescu International Competition, the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation announced Sunday.
The final of the competition took place Saturday.
Lee also received five special awards, including for best interpretation of Enescu’s works and the audience award.
Cellist Park Sang-hyeok, 22, another foundation scholar, placed third in the cello section on Sept. 7.
Established in 1958, the Enescu Competition honors Romanian composer and violinist George Enescu. Held every two years, it features competitions in composition, cello, violin and piano.
Lee previously became the youngest winner of the senior division at the 2024 Ettlingen International Competition. He studies at the New England Conservatory in Boston.
Other foundation scholars have also achieved notable results at previous editions of the Enescu Competition. In 2021, cellist Han Jae-min became the youngest winner of the competition at the time, while violinist Wi Jae-won took second place.
gypark@heraldcorp.com
