Supported by Texas Ballet Theater made possible by a generous grant from Anne T. & Robert M. Bass Learn more about Texas Ballet Theater: https://texasballettheater.org/about/ SEOKYOUNG HONG 홍석영 South Korea I 15 Bernice Gressman Meyerson First Prize Winner 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival Final Round Saturday, June 17, 2023 Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center I Dallas, Texas USA Dallas Symphony Orchestra Valentina Peleggi, conductor RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43 About Seokyoung Hong “I hope to be a pianist that can remind and somehow transfer the audience’s own personal stories. From those reminded experiences, I hope they find happiness, relief, and even nostalgia. Beyond thinking about the stories from the past, I also hope they can imagine lots of things while and after listening to my performance.” Seokyoung Hong has had several first or second-place finishes at international competitions in Korea, Switzerland, and the United States. Following two years at the Yewon School in his native Seoul, he moved to Boston in 2022 to study piano at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School with HaeSun Paik while also attending the Walnut Hill School for the Arts. He’s found himself inspired by his new environment: “Nature inspires me in various ways—its huge size, marvelous detail, the beauty of nature itself, and a lot more. For instance, the enormous entities like the ocean and the universe motivate me but also make me feel that I am only a small human.” Seokyoung finds inspiration and motivation from the two most recent winners of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, South Korea’s Yekwon Sunwoo and Yunchan Lim, which was part of his motivation for taking part in the Cliburn Junior. He also hopes to develop his piano playing and artistry, as well as to build experience performing for large audiences. His interest in composing leads him to constantly study, he says, but he also enjoys riding his bike, playing chess, and participating in the table tennis club at school.