HwaYoung An, Korea

Pianist HwaYoung An was born in Seoul, South Korea, and began her piano studies at the age of four.

In summer 2018, she had a solo recital at Ehrbar-Saal, in Vienna, Austria, as a Grand Prix winner at the 9th International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition in Vienna, Austria, and won Second Prize and the Audience Prize at the San Jose International Piano Competition in 2017. Also, she won Second Prize and the Audience Favorite Prize at the Seattle International Piano Competition in the same year. In Boston in 2016, she performed Prokofiev’s 3rd Piano Concerto with the Boston University Symphony Orchestra as a winner of the soloist competition, and this was followed by receiving First Prize from the Boston University Richmond Piano Competition. In 2014, she gave a solo debut recital in Boston as a winner of the Kumho Foundation Young Artist Series Audition. In 2013, she was a finalist of the 32nd Delia Steinberg International Piano Competition in Madrid, Spain. In 2015, she was invited to participate in “The Pianofest in the Hamptons” in East Hampton, New York, and performed her solos in various venues around the Hamptons area. Besides solo playing, as a dedicated chamber musician, she formed a piano quartet named “Quartet Klang,” while in college in Korea, and gave recitals in Kumho Art Hall and varied halls at Seoul National University. To further her chamber playing, she has attended Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival and the Sarasota Music Festival, where she was selected by faculty members to perform with her ensemble at the Sarasota Opera House. Recently in summer 2019, she was a staff pianist for tuba/euphonium and trombone workshops at Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Previously, she received her Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University, then moved to the United States to continue her music studies. She got her Master of Music degree with full scholarship and stipend from Yale University School of Music and her Artist Diploma from the Colburn School with full scholarship as well. Her previous teachers are Peter Frankl, Ory Shihor, and Kwi-Hyun Kim. In May 2019, she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree as a full scholarship recipient at Boston University under Prof. Pavel Nersessian, and also served as a teaching assistant.