Cellist Kim Tae-yeon takes 2nd as youngest finalist in this year's Queen Elisabeth Competition

BRUSSELS — At 20, Korean cellist Kim Tae-yeon was the youngest of the 12  finalists at this year's International Queen Elisabeth Competition, one of the world's most prestigious contests for young classical musicians. But her age proved no obstacle as her fearless performances and fresh musical ideas earned her the second prize on her final Saturday performance at the Centre for Fine Arts, or Bozar, in Brussels, Belgium.

"There's nothing I enjoy more than being on stage. It's a place where I can do everything I want,” Kim said to the JoongAng Ilbo by phone after the results were announced on Sunday.

"I have a bit of main-character syndrome,” she said with a laugh. “I like being in the spotlight and receiving applause."

Kim performed with remarkable confidence throughout the event and displayed abundant energy and fresh musical ideas.

"In every round, I was able to perform with enjoyment and excitement, as if I were giving a concert rather than competing," she said.

The 20-year-old's lively personality matches the vibrant and healthy character of her music. 

"There are so many things I want to do in life, and I believe I need to keep having new experiences in order to have something to express through music," she said. "When I was in elementary school, I was on my school's synchronized swimming team. I also trained seriously in taekwondo and boxing."

Kim's mother, Choi Jung-ju, is also a cellist who studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School in the United States. But Kim said she began playing the cello by chance.

"There happened to be a spare cello at home when I was in elementary school, so I picked it up and started playing," she said.

As both her mother and a professional cellist, Choi described her daughter as someone who has never been able to sit still.

“She's been energetic and fearless since she was very young, and that comes through in her cello playing as well," Choi said. "The sound Tae-yeon draws from the strings is especially satisfying and powerful because she is left-handed.”

Kim was admitted to the Curtis Institute at age 14, but enrolled at 16 after delaying it due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She made her debut through the Kumho Prodigy Concert series in 2020 and won the International Lutosławski Cello Competition in 2024, becoming both the youngest winner in the competition's history and the first Korean to claim the title.

"I've entered one competition every year since I was 16," she said. "It's a way of checking how much I've improved from year to year."

The Queen Elisabeth Competition is an established event alongside the Tchaikovsky Competition and the Chopin Competition. Founded under its current name in 1951, it celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

Other Korean musicians have enjoyed notable success at the competition. Previous winners include Cho Eun-hwa and Jeon Min-jae in composition, a category that no longer exists, Lim Ji-young in violin, Choi Ha-young in cello and Kim Tae-han in voice.

The competition is known for its demanding format. Before the final round, contestants are given a newly commissioned work and have just one week to prepare it.

This year, participants were required to learn and perform "Four Odes to the Tidings of Flowers" by composer Fang Man. They spent a week preparing, isolated from the outside world, at the Music Chapel, a music institution near Brussels.

"The idea is to give young musicians time entirely to themselves, following a concept originally proposed to the queen by violinist Eugène Ysaÿe," explained Marie Vander Elst, acting secretary-general of the competition. Ysaÿe (1858-1931), one of Belgium's most celebrated violinists, was also the violin teacher of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, the competition's founder.

The competition rotates annually among the piano, cello, violin and voice categories. This year, 185 musicians from around the world applied, and 64 advanced to the main rounds. Five Korean cellists reached that stage, but Kim was the only one to advance to the final.

Kim will receive 20,000 euros ($23,300) in prize money for her second-place finish. First prize went to Italy's Ettore Pagano, while third prize was awarded to Leland Ko of the United States and Canada.

"I want to continue showing everything that is genuinely in my music, just as I do now," she said.

Kim will join the winners' concert tour beginning in Brussels on June 10, followed by performances in major cities across Belgium.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY KIM HO-JUNG [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]