Shin Dong-hoon, First Asian to Win Berlin Philharmonic Abbado Composition Prize

Composer Shin Dong-hoon.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] Composer Shin Donghun has become the first Asian to receive the 'Claudio Abbado Composition Prize' awarded by the foundation under the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

On the 14th (local time), the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra announced that composer Shin Donghun would be awarded the Claudio Abbado Composition Prize. This prize was established by the Karajan Academy Sponsorship Foundation in honor of Claudio Abbado (1933?2014), the former principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. It is awarded to young composers with outstanding talent without a fixed schedule. Shin Donghun became the first Asian and the sixth recipient overall, following J?rg Widmann (2006) and Bruno Mantovani (2010).

Along with the award, Shin Donghun was commissioned to compose a cello concerto. This piece will be premiered by the Karajan Academy in May 2022 during the 50th anniversary concert of the Karajan Academy’s founding, conducted by Kirill Petrenko, the principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. Bruno Dellerpeleer, a Karajan Academy alumnus and principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic, will perform as the soloist.

Shin Donghun graduated from the composition department at Seoul National University and is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at King's College London. He studied under world-renowned composers George Benjamin, P?ter E?tv?s, and Jin Eunsuk. He has worked with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Spanish National Orchestra. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra plans to perform Shin Donghun’s 2019 commissioned work for the London Symphony Orchestra, "Kafka’s Dream," for the first time in Asia this coming October.

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