Star Pianist

[Anchor Lead]

Pianist Son Yeol-eum burst into the classical music scene in 2011 when she won a silver medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. Her career as a classical musician took another leap when she was named the assistant artistic director for this year's PyeongChang Music Festival. Let's meet the amazingly talented pianist Son Yeol-eum.

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Pianist Son Yeol-eum stops a passionate performance to make a cute pose and blow a whistle. In addition to being appointed as an assistant artistic director in one of the country's largest music festivals, Son has been named the first or the youngest in several areas. She says her already impressive list of achievements can be attributed to her quirkiness.

[Soundbite] Son Yeol-eum(Pianist) : "My childhood talent was being able to remain seated for a long time. That's a rather important asset for people playing the piano."

Son Yeol-eum gained global attention when she won the silver medal and two special awards at the 2011 Tchaikovsky International Competition. She also wanted to do her part in making classical music more accessible to the general public. So she's been taking time out of her busy schedule to write a column in a daily newspaper for five years and founded a one-person firm to try her hand at organizing cultural events. Her answers to the interview questions were always frank and to-the-point. To the question of whether she likes reading, she answered that these days she prefers internet surfing over reading books. She also admitted that she sometimes uses the piano as a mirror.

[Soundbite] Son Yeol-eum(Pianist) : "If I think that I've sweated too much, or that my eyeliners might have smudged, I look at myself on the piano like this."

But her presence as is most commanding when she's on stage playing the piano. What is her secret to performing in such an intensely engaging way?

[Soundbite] Son Yeol-eum(Pianist) : "I try to tell a story. I try to arrange music like a scenario and create a musical atmosphere of my own."

Her sincere performance creates a magical and touching moment when the musician and the audience connect. Son says she wants to share this experience with a lot more people.

[Soundbite] Son Yeol-eum(Pianist) : "I wish that people would think of music not as something they can't follow or get familiar with, but as part of their lives."

Pianist Son Yeol-eum is a musician of distinct personality and musical character, who knows how to bring into harmony her sensitive and rational sides.