The final audition of the Pablo Casals International Award 2024 took place last Saturday November 16th in the auditorium of the Tívoli of the Escola Municipal de Música Pau Casals del Vendrell (EMMPAC). The jury was made up of internationally renowned cellists Ophélie Gaillard, Danjulo Ishizaka, Marie-Elisabeth Hecker and Arnau Tomàs. Bernard Meillat, musical advisor of the Foundation, acted as secretary of the jury.
Yewon Cho (Republic of Korea, 2003) grew up listening to music naturally under the influence of her mother, who is also a cellist.
She studied at the Korea National Institute for Gifted in Art from 2014 to 2020 and started her Bachelor at Korea National University of Arts in 2020 at age sixteen, finishing her early graduation of excellent students in 2023.
Currently, she is an artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium with teachers Gary Hoffman and Jeroen Reuling.
Some of her major awards include the First Prize at the 2015 Strad Korea Competition, First Prize at the 2016 Antonio Janigro International Competition in Croatia, Second Prize at the 2017 Popper International Competition, Winner of the Shinhan Music Award in 2020 and the Third Prize at the 2024 Triomphe de l’Art Music Competition.