[On Stage] Cellist Han Jaemin "The Lotte Concert Hall Performance I Personally Planned, The Most Exciting Stage"

"Cello, a sufficiently charming instrument for solo performance"
'In-house Artist' performs twice in March and October
Kod?ly Cello Sonata, Tchaikovsky Trio, and more

"The first performance by the in-house artist at Lotte Concert Hall is one of the most exciting stages of the year. The unaccompanied cello sonata by Zolt?n Kod?ly, which will be performed that day, is a cello piece I truly love."

Cellist Han Jaemin will take the stage alone at Lotte Concert Hall on March 27. In addition to Kod?ly's piece, which he really likes, he will perform three pieces by John Williams, the unaccompanied cello suites by Gaspar Cassad?, and the unaccompanied cello sonata by Gy?rgy Ligeti. For about 80 minutes, he plans to fill the 2,000-seat space of Lotte Concert Hall with only the sound of his 'Giovanni Grancino' cello, without a pianist's accompaniment.

Born in 2006, he is only eighteen years old. However, his determination to perform solely with his instrument’s sound without piano accompaniment reveals his boldness and confidence.

At a press conference held at Lotte Concert Hall on the 19th, Han Jaemin said, "When it comes to cello recitals, it is usually assumed that a pianist accompanies, but in my opinion, there are many pieces for solo cello, and the cello has enough charm as a solo instrument to hold a recital on its own." He added, "There aren't many unaccompanied cello performances, so I really wanted to try it. It has always been a dream stage in my heart, and I am very happy to be able to perform at such a great venue. It is one of the performances I am eagerly looking forward to this year. There is pressure, but also great anticipation."

Cellist Han Jaemin is performing Bach's "Sarabande" ahead of a press conference held at Lotte Concert Hall on the 19th.
[Photo by Lotte Cultural Foundation]

Han Jaemin was selected as this year’s in-house artist at Lotte Concert Hall and will perform twice. The second performance is scheduled for October 30. As an in-house artist, he plans and organizes the performances himself and even recruits the performers. He will perform Kod?ly’s unaccompanied cello sonata and Tchaikovsky’s piano trio in the March and October concerts, respectively, both pieces he has always wanted to play.

"Kod?ly composed the unaccompanied cello sonata and said that a few years later it would be a piece all cellists play. In fact, it is a piece every cellist must go through. I felt it suited me very well. It is actually a very challenging piece to perform, but the exhilaration after finishing it is immense. It is one of my top three favorite pieces."

In the October concert, he will share the stage with violinist Krist?f Bar?ti and pianist Park Jaehong. Besides Tchaikovsky’s piano trio, they will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Trio Elegy No. 1 and Dvo??k’s Piano Trio No. 4 'Dumky'.

He described Tchaikovsky’s piano trio as "ending very quietly and sadly, which is why it stays in the heart for a long time."

Cellist Han Jaemin is smiling brightly at the press conference held at Lotte Concert Hall on the 19th.
Photo by Lotte Cultural Foundation

Han Jaemin began playing the cello at age five and performed with the Wonju City Symphony Orchestra as the youngest soloist at age eight. In 2020, he was selected as the youngest artistic prodigy at the Korea National University of Arts and became a university student. At age 15 in 2021, he won first place as the youngest winner at the Enescu International Competition, representing Eastern Europe. In November 2022, he also won the Yoon Isang International Music Competition. With consecutive competition wins, his performance opportunities have greatly increased, keeping him extremely busy over the past year.

"It was a very meaningful year for me. Especially the competitions felt like 'breaking out of an egg.' After the competitions, I tried to find my identity and thought a lot about whether I could find my own color and music. In fact, I am still pondering that. I don’t know when this contemplation will end, but I think I have been going through that process for a year. And through that process, I tried to approach music by finding more fundamental elements and my original intention than before."

He said he is still very young and has much to learn.

"I think being an in-house artist at Lotte Concert Hall will greatly help my growth. As an in-house artist, I am planning two performances, and from the beginning, I have been thinking a lot about how to organize the program and how to lead the performance, so I have learned a lot. After the two concerts are over, I think reflecting on what was lacking and what was good will be another opportunity for growth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.