[Rising virtuosos] From Pororo to Paganini: 13-year-old violinist Lee Hyeon-jeong’s journey to the world stage

It all began with a Maxim Vengerov recital: A little girl in the audience, who, like most kids her age enjoyed singing tunes from the Pororo cartoon series, found herself suddenly drawn to the world of classical music.

For most Korean children born around 2010, growing up meant loving Pororo the Little Penguin, affectionately nicknamed "President Po" for the power he wielded over the pre-kindergarten set.

As they got older, many of these kids would move on to other music genres, often developing a passion for K-pop.

This would most likely have been the case for the now 13-year-old Lee Hyeong-jeong, born in December 2010, but for the first concert she attended at age 6 with her mother -- a violin recital by Maxim Vengerov. It sparked a passion for the violin that would reshape her daily routine and life ambitions.

Learning the violin transformed Lee in profound ways. Once enthusiastic about all kinds of sports -- skiing, ballet, hockey, speed skating -- she now avoids them, fearing an injury that could affect her fingers. Her hands have even adapted to her craft: her left fingers are nearly a centimeter longer than those on her right hand. Where she used to love hanging out with friends, she now spends long hours in soundproof practice rooms, refining her technique.

Lee’s mother always knew her daughter was fiercely competitive and had a deep-seated drive to win. Once Lee began learning the violin, she would practice up to eight hours a day, determined to perfect each piece. Only after mastering a difficult section would she allow herself to rest, going to bed with a sense of accomplishment.

Her efforts often meant sacrificing sleep, but it paid off.

Lee, who studies with Sunny Lee at the Seoul Central Conservatory, has earned many accolades. In 2022, after sweeping the domestic competitions, Lee debuted at the Kumho Prodigy Concert, which showcases young talents under 14. That same year, she became the youngest first-prize winner at the Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinists and also won the overall grand prize and a scholarship at the Rising Stars Grand Prix International Music Competition in Berlin.

This September, Lee, the youngest participant, took home two awards from the George Enescu International Competition in Romania, winning both the second prize and the Audience Award. Of the 50 finalists, 15 were Koreans, and she was the youngest.

The first prize went to Mayumi Kanagawa, a 30-year-old violinist from the US, and the third prize was awarded to 21-year-old Wakana Kimura from Japan.

"The larger the audience, the less nervous I feel," Lee told The Korea Herald in an interview on Oct. 31, adding that the final round at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest was especially memorable due to the reaction from the 1,000 attendees.

Preparing for the competition over two months, Lee faced two major challenges: lack of sleep and memorizing all the scores for the several rounds in the competition. Although it wasn't required to memorize all the scores, she preferred to do so.

A young teenager still growing, she couldn’t help feeling sleepy sometimes. To stay awake, she would splash water on her face or chew on an ice cube.

Her mom, who was exhausted from the pressure and the long travel, asked Lee if she could embrace such a lifestyle, traveling all the time. Before going to Romania this year, Lee had already performed in Austria, Germany, Japan and China.

Lee's answer was an ambitious one. By the time she turns 23 -- 10 years later -- she would be traveling the world as a professional violinist and, if she’s lucky, would record an album with the famous record label Deutsche Grammophon.

The fun part of the competition was mastering difficult pieces.

"Paganini's compositions are known for their incredible technical demands. I've heard he could mesmerize his audiences with his performances, and I find that aspect really fascinating. During the competition, I played Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 in the first round, and practicing those technical skills was a lot of fun," Lee said.

With tremendous potential, Lee aspires to become a violinist who forges a deep connection with her audiences just like her role models Maxim Vengerov, David Oistrakh and Kim Bomsori.

"And I want to be a good person, just as my teacher taught me. Building on that, I hope to become a violinist who can have a positive impact on others," the precocious 13-year-old said.

This article is the seventh in the "Rising Virtuosos" series introducing Korea's next generation of talented and accomplished classical musicians. The series will give readers an intimate look at the exceptional artistry and passion of young musicians who are making their mark on the international classical music scene. —Ed.