School of Music piano duo to perform at Carnegie Hall

An alumna/student piano duo from the UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music received first prize in the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition.

Soojung Jeon (DMA-Performance ’15) and Yoonsook Song, a DMA-performance student, will perform in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, May 22, as a result of earning top honors in the College/Professional division of the competition.

The judges of the competition praised the duo’s “depth of interpretation, musicality, and technical expertise.” 

“Both of these pianists are very fine musicians and excellent solo players,” said Martha Thomas, Despy Karlas Professor in Piano at the School of Music. “They met last year in my studio and only started working together as a piano duo this past fall.”

Jeon and Song’s first performance together was in November 2015, and they quickly built a strong relationship, resulting in a third place finish in the United States International Duo Piano Competition in January.

Following the Carnegie Hall performance, the duo will head for the Midwest, to compete in the Chicago International Duo Piano Competition in June.

“It's so exciting to see these two students develop their artistry and musicianship to such a high level,” said Thomas. “Hearing them in Weill Recital Hall will be an amazing experience.”

The Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition has been designed as an entrée into the world of piano performance for those seriously interested in pursuing a professional career.  Founded in 2003 by the late David Bradshaw and Cosmo Buono, the Competition is open to students from age four to adults, and divided into five categories: Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Amateur Adults and College/Adults.

The UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music sponsors more than 350 performances each year. To view the performance calendar, subscribe to the weekly email concert listing or learn more about the School of Music, go to music.uga.edu.