S. Korean conductor Yoon Han-kyeol wins Karajan prize

South Korean conductor Yoon Han-kyeol clinched the prestigious Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award in Salzburg, Austria, on Sunday.

Taking to the stage at the main auditorium of the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation, Yoon led the Camerata Salzburg orchestra in performances of four works in the final competition: Overture from Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (The Barber of Seville); Mozart’s Aria for Soprano and Orchestra in F major, K. 538; a chamber orchestra piece titled "Of Rats and Men" composed by Shin Dong-hoon and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 in A minor, known as "Scottish."

“Performing on a global stage like the Salzburg Festival itself was a huge honor,” Yoon told The Korea Herald on Monday.

“I focused on the performance and not so much on the prize or the outcome. So the feeling of winning hasn’t completely settled in. I am still wrapped up in the lingering emotions from the performance.”

Yoon was up against Tobias Wogerer of Austria and Vitali Alekseenok of Belarus, who led their performances on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The 29-year-old conductor said he hopes to put his heart and sincerity into each performance.

“I would like to continue working as a conductor -- working with many orchestras and meeting with people in different cities -- and together create meaningful moments through music,” he said.

The biennial award, named in honor of the legendary conductor Herbert von Karajan, aims to propel emerging young conductors -- those over 21 and under 35 years old -- into the global spotlight. The competition is jointly organized by the Herbert von Karajan Society and the Salzburg Festival.

This year, 323 young conductors from 54 countries participated in the competition. The jury of eight, led by Manfred Honeck, selected eight semifinalists, then chose three finalists in April.

The winner receives prize money of 15,000 euros ($16,500) and gets the opportunity to conduct a concert with an international orchestra and a young, up-and-coming soloist at the 2024 Salzburg Festival.

Before the finals, Yoon said in an interview with the Salzburg Festival, “I have been following this competition, named after one of the most important conductors in history and presented by one of the most renowned festivals in the world. For many years it has been my goal to participate someday.”

“A conductor should have many different abilities, including that to convince the musicians of his ideas by striking a good balance of technical skills and a friendly, respectful attitude,” he added.

Yoon is a multifaceted musician -- he is a conductor, composer and pianist. He studied conducting, composing and piano performance at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich in Germany, and made his debut as a conductor and composer at the Tongyeong International Music Festival in March 2022 under composer Chin Unsuk’s leadership.

Notably, Yoon is the youngest winner of the Neeme Jarvi Prize at the 2019 Gstaad Menuhin Festival. He previously worked as an assistant conductor with the Staatstheater Nurnberg, Grand Theatre de Geneve and Heidenheim Opera Festival. Among the highlights of the 2022/23 season were his debuts with the Bern Symphony Orchestra and the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra and a return to the KBS Symphony Orchestra for concerts in Tokyo.

Also as a prize-winning composer, Yoon has been recognized at international competitions including the Luciano Berio International Composition Competition in Rome in 2020 and the Tonali Composition Competition in Hamburg in 2018. In December 2021, his most recent work, “Grande Hipab,” had its world premiere by Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt.

In November 2022, Yoon signed on with classical artist management agency Askonas Holt, which also represents illustrious conductors like Simon Rattle and Daniel Barenboim.

Yoon is scheduled to perform with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra at the Stavanger Konserthus, Norway, on Friday. In September, he is slated to give two performances at the George Enescu Festival and in late September, with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, according to his Korean management company Credia on Monday.