Winners of Queen Elisabeth Competition to perform in Korea

Two winners of the 2021 Queen Elisabeth Competition are to hold performances across Korea starting next month.

French pianist Jonathan Fournel and Japanese pianist Keigo Mukawa who took the first and the third place in this year’s competition, respectively, will kick off their schedule at the 2021 PLZ Festival held in Goseong, Gangwon Province, on Sept. 8. They will also hold recitals in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, on Sept. 10 and in Gwangju on Sept. 12.

Fournel will present Brahms’ Piano Sonata No. 3 while Mukawa will perform Bach’s French Suite, No. 5 and Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin. 

The two pianists will also hold solo recitals at the Kumho Art Hall Yonsei in western Seoul. Mukawa will perform Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight” and Ravel’s “Gaspard de la Nuit” on Sept. 8 and Fournel will perform Chopin’s Nocturnes and Brahms’ Piano Sonata No. 3 on Sept. 16.

On Sept. 15, the two pianists will take part in a concert in Nowon, northern Seoul, performing Mozart’s works with the orchestra, The Original, under the baton of conductor Adriel Kim. Fournel will join the orchestra for Piano Concerto No. 18 and Mukawa for Piano Concerto No. 27.

The Queen Elisabeth Competition, held in Brussels, Belgium, alternates each year’s contest among four different disciplines: piano, cello, voice and violin. It is considered one of the most prestigious competitions for up-and-coming musicians. The piano competition was postponed from last year, when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s competition was held without in-person audiences.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)