KOREA

January 2022
Interview

Positivity and
Confidence

Pianist Jae Hong Park Turns Heads after
Winning 2021 Busoni Competition

WRITTEN BY
Kim Joo-young,
contributing writer

Photos courtesy of
Monthly Auditorium

I first met pianist Jae Hong Park on a cold day last winter and what remained in my memory was his imposing physique. His height of close to 190 cm and his large hands befitting his stature were not lost in the concert hall. He was able to hold his own against the nearly three-meter-wide grand piano. He wanted to listen to a program suitable for such a large pianist―not because he was a pianist, but because of his love of the piano itself.

¡°I always want to thank my parents for my physique,¡± he says. ¡°One¡¯s physical condition is sometimes taken into consideration when deciding a program. However, I think more often than not, I choose works that I¡¯ve been wanting to study for a long time or ones that I have fallen in love with recently.¡±

The phrase ¡°falling in love¡± from the 22-year-old male pianist feels particularly romantic. However, his confidence and demeanor as a pianist are hidden behind his kind eyes and unimposing personality. He has performed in many competitions, but for him, it is clear that the Busoni Competition was a challenge in which all of his abilities were tested.

¡°The Busoni Competition requires a pianist to showcase many different musical aspects,¡± he says. ¡°After passing the preliminary examination, you need to prepare for a total of four rounds: two recitals, the chamber music finals and the orchestra round. I studied a lot while taking on a huge repertoire. Above all, in terms of the quantity and quality of the program, it seems to have been an opportunity for me to grow to a level I would never have imagined.¡±

Compared to competitions named after musicians such as Tchaikovsky, Chopin and Van Cliburn, the Busoni competition seems to get little attention. This may be because the philosophical underpinnings of the music of Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) were particularly profound.

Park won the Busoni Competition in 2021 and
received four special awards.

I wondered how much interest Park, the winner of the competition, had in Busoni. ¡°I think Busoni is a great yet underrated composer,¡± he said. ¡°The image we often have of Busoni tends to be limited to arrangements of Johann Sebastian Bach represented by ¡®Chaconne.¡¯ However, his original pieces have a very impressive and unique world of consciousness that differs from these arrangements. Therefore, we must not forget that Busoni¡¯s pianism was not like anyone else¡¯s and is one that is deeply reflected in his work. As a pianist, it¡¯s an inescapable joy to deliver a brilliant yet unknown piece to the audience.¡±

Last May, I met Park during the Gyeonggi Provincial Philharmonic Orchestra¡¯s performance of the complete series of Beethoven¡¯s piano concertos. He presented a neatly sculpted Beethoven by effectively restraining his own sophisticated, flexible and flamboyant style. The story told by the notes of ¡°Piano Concerto No. 4¡± was delivered to the audience with an exciting tone for each phrase. I remember that it received a very warm response from the audience.

¡°If I had to pick three composers I really like, I would choose Bach, Beethoven and Schumann,¡± he said. ¡°These are also the three composers who I fear the most. I¡¯m always worried that the way I interpret their work may not be up to the standard of their reputation. There is a great sense of duty to convey the message of the work to the audience without distortion.¡±

Park poses for a photograph at a recital at Korea National University of Arts in 2019. First Lady Kim Jung-sook of Korea and Queen Mathilde of Belgium attended the performance. ©Yonhap News

The person he mentions the most is none other than his teacher Daejin Kim. Daejin Kim recently became the president of the Korea National University of Arts. His students have shown musical talent in many different areas of music such as conducting, teaching and performing. They are all incredibly special to him as no two people are alike.

¡°It has been nine years since I started studying with Mr. Kim, but I still feel like I have a lot to learn from his new lessons,¡± says Park. ¡°Whenever I hear older and younger players performing the same piece in class, I am often surprised by the different interpretations. Mr. Kim taught in a way that always made a student¡¯s individuality shine. His students have been able to awaken a hidden nature or temperament they were not even aware they possessed.¡±

¡°I think studying with Mr. Kim helped me understand myself on a deeper level,¡± he adds. ¡°I was able to solve problems based on the root cause, which helped me achieve overall improvement. I¡¯m still lacking in a lot of things, but I was able to get here thanks to Mr. Kim¡¯s teachings.¡±

What is the teacher¡¯s evaluation of the disciple? In an interview, Kim described Park as ¡°a rare pianist who has a great interest in music in general and is eager to broaden his experience while learning not only piano, but also orchestral and chamber music.¡±

Park¡¯s performances harmonize humility and reserve with great confidence in himself. © Jae Hong Park

There¡¯s certainly something about him that makes it impossible to guess his age due to his literacy and depth. He seems to relieve the pressure and tension of performancing with books.

¡°I recently reread Kazantzakis¡¯ ¡®Zorba the Greek.¡¯ I always read it when I¡¯m on a plane. Zorba¡¯s free and playful persona gives me strength. When I am tired or exhausted, Zorba¡¯s words and ways of asking fundamental questions about the essence of life help me clear my thoughts and gain positive energy.¡±

When everything is uncertain, all young musicians need is the power of positivity as they step towards perfection and a readiness to embrace the unknown future. Fortunately, Park is confident enough to share his experience and energy with others.

¡°I try not to think of competitions as contests. I think of them as a stage,¡± he says. ¡°Everyone wants to go to a competition and place well, but there are times when personal greed becomes too projected into one¡¯s interpretation. It harms the message of the great works. I think the ideal way is to ¡®believe in yourself ¡¯ as you tell your own stories while thinking of music in a very ¡®simple and humble manner.¡¯¡±

Park JaeHong

Jae Hong Park is a young pianist who is receiving a lot of attention. He won the Busoni Competition in 2021 and received four special awards. Park started playing the piano at the age of eight and would eventually go on to win the Cleveland Youth Competition and the Gina Bachauer Youth Competition. He graduated from Seoul Arts High School and is currently studying with Daejin Kim as a fourth-year student at Korea National University of Arts.

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