Percussionist Sangmin Oh Wins Third Place at World Marimba Competition

Percussionist Sangmin Oh (24) won third place at the 8th World Marimba Competition, which concluded on August 24 in Hangzhou, China, according to the Kumho Cultural Foundation. Sangmin Oh will receive a third-place prize of 5,000 euros (approximately 8.17 million won).

Sangmin Oh made his debut at the Kumho Young Artist Concert in 2018. In 2017, he became the youngest musician to win second place in the snare drum category at the Italy International Percussion Competition. He also took first place at several prestigious domestic competitions, including the Music Journal Competition, the Music Education Newspaper Competition, the Woohyun Music Competition, and the Korea Music Association International Student Competition. Additionally, he won third place at the Jeju International Wind & Percussion Competition and the Yonsei Wind Competition. He studied under Seonmin Shim, graduated from Yewon School and Kangwon National University, and is set to continue his studies in the master's program at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts starting this September.

Sangmin Oh shared his thoughts on the award, saying, "I am happy and proud to have achieved such a good result. While preparing for the competition, I was able to reflect more deeply on music and grow as a musician. As a Korean, I will continue to strive to showcase the charm of percussion instruments to the world and become a performer who sincerely communicates with the audience on stage."

Percussionist Oh Sangmin [Photo by Kumho Cultural Foundation]

The World Marimba Competition was founded in the early 1990s by Keiko Abe of Japan and Klaus Treßelt of Germany to promote the artistry of marimba performance globally and to provide a platform for the growth and musical exchange of young musicians. The first competition was held in Stuttgart, Germany in 1996, and it has since been hosted in Okayama, Japan and Shanghai, China. Notable past winners include Eric Sammut (second place in 1996), Jasmin Kolberg (third place in 1999), and Marta Klimasara (first place in 1999). Korean winners include Seonmin Shim (third place in 2008), Saemi Hwang (first place in 2012), Kumho Young Talent alumnus Seongyeon Gong (first place in 2022), and Kumho Young Artist alumna Jiyeon Kim (third place in 2022).

This year's competition saw 163 participants from 16 countries, with 81 contestants advancing to the finals through preliminary video screening. Five finalists were selected during the first and second rounds held from August 17 to 22, and they competed in the final round at the Hangzhou Red Star Theater on August 24. First place was awarded to Gabriel Michaud (France), and second place went to Boyang Zhang (China).

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