Youl Sun
Pianist Youl Sun, known for his broad and diverse repertoire, achieved a significant milestone on the European stage in 2026 by winning Second Prize and the Best Performance of a 20th-Century Work Award at the Ljubljana Festival Piano Competition. In the same year, he was also selected as an M Artist by the Mapo Cultural Foundation, further solidifying his position as an emerging pianist.
Previously, in 2024, Youl Sun won First Prize at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, where he also received the Audience Prize and the Student Jury Prize, achieving a triple crown. In the same year, he also won First Prize at the Seoul International Music Competition. In 2023, he was awarded Second Prize and the Audience Prize at the Viseu International Piano Competition. He has continued to gain international recognition through prizes at competitions such as the Isang Yun International Music Competition, the Maria Canals International Music Competition, and the Istanbul Orchestra Sion International Piano Competition. Earlier in his career, he also won First Prize at the Asia Pacific Chopin Competition, Second Prize and the Schubert Special Prize at the E-Piano Junior International Competition (USA), as well as the Shinhan Music Award.
Youl Sun has performed at major venues both in Korea and abroad, including Concertgebouw in the Netherlands, Salle Cortot in France, Philharmonie Luxembourg, AMUZ in Belgium, Cankarjev Dom and Philharmonic Hall in Slovenia, Abravanel Hall and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in the United States, the Yamaha Hall Ginza in Japan, as well as leading Korean venues such as the Seoul Arts Center, Lotte Concert Hall, Tongyeong Concert Hall, Seongnam Arts Center, Gyeonggi Arts Center, Goyang Aram Nuri, and Kumho Art Hall. Through various festivals and curated concert series, he continues to engage audiences in a wide range of performances, including solo recitals, concerto appearances, and chamber music. In addition, he performs as part of the “Harang” Duo with pianist Jaesung Bae, expanding his ensemble activities, including performances of the complete Beethoven symphonies arranged for two pianos.
He has collaborated with conductors including Antoni Wit, Ricardo Castro, Gemma New, Sergey Smbatyan, Massimo Zanetti, Mark Russell Smith, Adrien Perruchon, Connor Gray Covington, Seokwon Hong, Soo-Yeoul Choi, and Samuel Lee, and has appeared with orchestras such as the Minnesota Orchestra, Utah Symphony, RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra, Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, Gyeongsangbuk-do Provincial Symphony Orchestra, Korean Chamber Orchestra, Hankyung ARTE Philharmonic Orchestra, Tongyeong Festival Orchestra, and Philharmonie Korea.
Youl Sun studied at Yewon School and Seoul Arts High School (honorary graduate) before entering the Korea National University of Arts through its gifted student admission program, where he later graduated. He subsequently continued his studies in France, graduating from the Schola Cantorum de Paris and the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. He studied with Professor Daejin Kim and currently studies with Professor Olivier Gardon, while receiving support as an Arts Fellow of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation.
