Jeongro Park

Jeongro Park, piano
The pianist Jeongro Park, born in Busan (South Korea), began his musical career at a young age and made his debut as a soloist with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of twelve.
He won First Prize with the Aloise-Vecchiato Special Prize at the ‘45th Palma d’Oro International Competition’ in Italy, Third Prize at the ‘Karl-Robert-Kreiten Competition’, and the Prize for Best Lied Pianist at the ‘Cologne Lions Club Lied Duo Competition’. 

From 2021 onwards, he has received numerous further international awards, including Fifth Prize at the ‘Lyon International Piano Competition’, Second Prize with Audience Prize (First Prize not awarded) at the ‘Val Tidone International Competition’, First Prize at the ‘Euregio Piano Award’, First Prize and Audience Prize at the ‘Rospigliosi International Piano Competition’, First Prize at the ‘Opus Artis International Piano Competition Paris’, First Prize and the S.-Rachmaninoff Special Prize at the ‘Amigdala International Piano Competition’, First Prize at the ‘D. Scarlatti International Piano Competition’, Second Prize at the ‘Valsesia International Piano Competition’, Third Prize at the ‘G. Colafemmina International Piano Competition’, Third Prize at the ‘Arcangelo Speranza International Piano Competition’, Third Prize at the ‘San Donà di Piave International Piano Competition’, Fourth Prize at the ‘Murcia Clamo International Piano Competition’, the A.-B.-Michelangeli Prize at the ‘Mauro Paolo Monopoli International Piano Competition’, as well as First Prize at the ‘Karl-Bergemann Sight-Reading Competition’. 

Already during his studies, Jeongro Park maintained a very active concert career not only as a solo pianist but also as a Lied and chamber pianist, performing more than 50 times per year.
His concert activities have taken him to numerous stages as a solo recitalist in both South Korea and Europe, including Seoul, Cologne, Bonn, Aachen, Altena, Hanover, Geilenkirchen, Donzdorf, Mönchengladbach, Koblenz, Altenkirchen, Pietrasanta, Finale Ligure, Crotone, Lamporecchio, Pistoia, Santa Margherita, Ischia, Zeven, Gehrden, Rösrath, Meerbusch, Porto, and Sibiu. 

In addition, he participated in the ‘Chamber Music Series of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra’ and gave solo recitals at, among others, the ‘Bechstein Young Professional Cologne’ (2018 and 2020), ‘Klaviersommer Geilenkirchen’, ‘Festival Musicale E Lucevan le stelle’, ‘Ischia Classica Festival’, ‘I Giovedì Musicali di Sant’Antonio’, ‘Santa Margherita Festival’, and the ‘Festival Internacional Santa Cecilia Porto’. Furthermore, he is active in numerous concerts as an artist of the society ‘Weltklassik am Klavier’. 

As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Częstochowa Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hanyang University Orchestra, the Western Symphony Orchestra, the Orfeo Stillo Orchestra, the Orchestra Città di Grosseto, the Wratislavia Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra Filarmonica Pugliese, and the Filarmonica de Stat Sibiu. 

Furthermore, Jeongro Park demonstrates a particular talent for arrangements for solo piano. Several of his own arrangements have already been premiered at the renowned German music festival ‘Rhein-Ruhr Piano Festival’, and one of his arrangements has been published by the German music publisher ‘Schott’. 

As the duo partner of principal flutist Michael Faust of the WDR Symphony Orchestra, he regularly appears in concert. In addition to chamber music, he devotes himself with great passion to vocal music and is regularly present on stage in numerous projects and productions with musicians and singers. Furthermore, he served as a jury member of the ‘International Santa Cecilia Junior Piano Competition’ in Portugal and was also invited as a juror to the ‘Domenico Scarlatti International Piano Competition’. He is also active as a musical coach for singers at universities. His pedagogical profile is further expanded through his work as an assistant at the masterclasses of the ‘Music Academy Montepulciano’, held in collaboration with the pianist and professor at the University of Music and Dance Cologne, Prof. Sheila Arnold. 

He began his musical education at Hanyang University in Seoul in the class of Prof. Yongkyu Lee and Prof. Eunsoo Son. He completed his master’s studies in piano and Lied accompaniment at the University of Music and Dance Cologne with Prof. Sheila Arnold and Prof. Stefan Irmer. Subsequently, he successfully completed the Concert Examination in Lied Accompaniment with Prof. Stefan Irmer at the University of Music and Dance Cologne, as well as the Concert Examination in Piano at the University of Music, Drama and Media Hannover with Prof. Bernd Goetzke. 

Currently, Jeongro Park is active as a lecturer at the music universities in Cologne and Düsseldorf, where he works, among other roles, as a répétiteur and supports students in their musical development.