S. Korean composer first in Asia to win Claudio Abbado Composition Prize

South Korean composer Shin Dong-hoon has won the Claudio Abbado Composition Prize, a prestigious award from the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, organizers announced on Monday.

Shin, 37, is the first Asian winner and the sixth recipient of the prize, named after Italy’s legendary conductor Claudio Abbado, who also served as the artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonic. The award is given to young composers with outstanding talents, but does not designate a specific date or time in announcing the winner.

A cello concerto written by Shin will be held in May 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Karajan Academy. The piece will be conducted by Kirill Petrenko and performed by Bruno Delepelaire, the principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic, and other musicians from the orchestra and the Karajan Academy.

In 2019, Shin’s “Of Rats and Men” for chamber orchestra premiered at the Karajan Academy.

Shin studied composition at Seoul National University, and is currently working on his doctorate degree at King’s College in London. Several renowned composers have been his mentors, including Sir George Benjamin, Peter Eotvos and Chin Un-suk.

He was previously awarded the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize in 2016, and the Goethe Award by the Goethe Institut in 2013.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)