UGA piano student places in international contest, will perform in Austria

Yoonsook Song, DMA student at the UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music, won second prize in the 2016 Salzburg Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition’s piano competition, the Austrian competition’s organizational committee announced on May 24.

Song, who studies under Martha Thomas, UGA’s Despy Karlas Professor of Piano, submitted a recording earlier in the spring to the competition, and her second-place finish earned her an invitation to play with other winners in Salzburg this summer.

“Receiving a rating of second-prize winner in an international competition is very impressive and is a testament to the hard work that Yoonsook puts in every single day,” said Thomas. “I'm so proud of her for this accomplishment and am very excited that she will have the opportunity to perform later this summer in Salzburg.”

Song’s performance will take place on Thursday, July 14, at the Wiener Saal Mozarteum in Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart. 

It will be Song’s second award performance in three months, following her May performance with School of Music alum Soojung Jeon at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall for their win in the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition.

Grand Prize Virtuoso seeks to advance the career and promote the talent of its participants and winners. Classical musicians of all nationalities and ages compete in strings, piano, wind, chamber music and vocal areas.