Seong-Jin Cho

In 2015, pianist Seong-Jin Cho became the first South Korean musician to win the prestigious Chopin International Competition in Warsaw, launching his international career. Cho was born in Seoul in 1994, and began his music studies at age six, giving his first public recital when he was 11. He went on to study with Michael Béroff at the Paris Conservatory, and as the winner of the Chopin competition recorded an album of the composer’s works for Deutsche Grammophon (DG), the success of which secured his exclusive contract with the yellow label the following year. Recordings for DG include The Handel Project (2023) and Ravel’s complete piano works and piano concertos (2025). As a live performer, he has appeared alongside some of the world’s top orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic with which he toured Asia in 2017 with conductor Simon Rattle. The sensitivity of his touch has not only made him a compelling soloist but also a superb accompanist, as heard on recordings with baritone Matthias Goerne (including Im Abendrot, 2021).