Soo-Jung Ann, from South Korea, on her way home, with beautiful flowers, roses and lilyes, together with her father ans sster, after winning the International Telekom Beethoven Piano Competition Bonn 2013, and 30.000 Euro. In the final she played Beethoven 4th Piano concerto brilliantly, very virtuose and with alot of sensitivity together with the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, condacted,by Olari Elts, (Estonia). Foto Henning Høholt

SOO-JUNG ANN

winner of the

BEETHOVEN PIANO

COMPETITION 2013

By Henning Høholt, fotos Dan Hannen and Henning Høholt

Soo-Jung Ann

The final opened with Ludwig van Beethovens 4th Piano Concerto with the young (born 1987) pianist Soo-Jung Ann from South Korea. Symphonic musicality of the highes class thank to the conductors, Olari Elts, (Estonia)  open ears and his good contact with the brilliant soloist , who with tenderness, power and big virtuosity keept the audiences interest catched during all the concerto, her virtuoso clear floating ran up and down the keyboard sounded extraordinary clear, comparing with the two pianists who followed after her in the competition, and who also became no 2, and 3 in the finale
.

In the Beethoven orchestra we enjoyed many brilliant parts as for exemple the solo cello underlining the pianosolist in the third part of the concerto.

We could feel that this was an extraordinary event. But still we didn´t know that Soo-Jung Ann was being the winner.

Stefan Cassomenos, 2nd prize winner in the International Telekom Beethoven Pianocompetition Bonn 2013

Intracavernosal injection therapy is a well established viagra pill DYSFUNCTION (ED).

. Foto Henning Høholt

Stefan Cassomenos

The Australian pianist Stefan Cassomenos (born 1985) followed after, with Beethovens 5th Piano Concerto
. He presented a masculin very safe opening. the melodiocity of this concerto suites this male pianist very well.

In the middle of the 2nd part the  romanticity was taken well care of, his touch in the piano sounded right. 1st parts March like theme is fitting ewll to this type of piano soloist.

In this concerto, it sounds like the piano soloparts are more coming out of the orchestral voice, as if it is perhaps the composers wish that it shall sound like that, but that hides also some pianodetails away. 3rd part started a bit too gently, as it usually shall be an advance to the theme in the third part, it was too light, but then it was rolling very well with a brilliant finale in the end.

I had the feeling that the orchestra was too loud, the balance was not allways perfect, and that was not due to the soloist, it was the balance that the conductor should have controlled better.

Left Soo-Jung Ann, first prize winner together with Shinnosuke Inugai, third prize winner in the International Telekom Beethoven Piano Competition Bonn 2013. Foto: Henning Høholt

Shinnosuke Inugai

The last finalist was Shinnosuke Inugai (born 1982), the oldest of the three finalists, from Japan, who performed Beethovens 1st. Piano Concerto. We enjoyed big artistery from this Japanese pianist, this is a pianist of world class. During the way his presentation was outstanding, his soloparts artistery in the first part of the concerto, where he presented a magic cadenza of very high class, I have the feeling that he is best in solo recitals, where he dont jhave to cooperate with an orchestra
. as it was then the magic concert feeling came to me.

The International Telekom Beethoven Piano Competition Bonn 2013. From left Timotheus Höttges, leader of the organisation comitee, Soo-Jung Ann, Shinnosuke Inugai, Stefan Cassomenos, Paul Gillilov, Leader of the jury. Foto: Dan Hannen

Soo-Jung Ann won the first prize and 30.000 Euro

Stefan Cassomenos won the second prize and 20.000 Euro

Shinnosuke Inugai won the third prize and 10.000 Euro, and in addition the Audience prize and 3,000 Euro.

TELEKOM

A very well arranged competition thank to the Organisation in Bonn and to their sponsor, Telekom, which has been sponsoring the competition all the 5 times the Beethoven pianocompetition have been arranged so far, which representative Timotheus Höttges, who also is the chairman of the organisation comitee, to Kulturkompasset´representative in Bonn, Henning Høholt, confirmed, that Telekom guaranted that the would continue to follow up as sponsor for the International Telekom Beethoven Piano Competition also for many future years, and in addition guaranted for the arrangement of the Ludwig van Beethoven Jubilee in 2020 should be as famouse an event, as it was some years ago when Salzburg was arranging the Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart jubilee
. On our request how much money such an arrangement cost, Timotheus Höttges replyed, that it is around 2 million Euro. Furthermore that Telekom is looking forward to continue the good cooperation with Bonn about the big son of Bonn, Ludwig van  Beethoven,