Pianist Yoonhee Yang

Mozart Complete Piano Sonata Series II

K. 283, 284, 309, 310, 570
 

Mozart, a representative composer of the Classical era, left behind more than 600 works during his short lifetime. His extraordinary musical talent and creativity continue to have a profound impact on the world of classical music.

Pianist Yang Yoonhee, the second prize winner of the 12th International Mozart Competition in Austria in 2016, has been consistently engaging with audiences through her exceptional interpretation and expressive performance. She presents the second concert of her Mozart Complete Piano Sonata Series.

Mozart composed a total of 18 piano sonatas. In this second installment of the series, the program spans Mozart’s entire career, featuring early works K. 283 and K. 284, middle-period works K. 309 and K. 310, and a late work, K. 570. The program offers a comprehensive exploration of Mozart’s evolving musical language. Yang Yoonhee, a Mozart specialist, brings a fresh perspective to the profound musicality and the joys and sorrows experienced by the composer as a human being.
 
 
 Program
 
 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Piano Sonata No. 6 in D Major, K. 284 "Durnitz" (1775)
Piano Sonata No. 5 in G Major, K. 283 (1777)
Piano Sonata No. 17 in B-flat Major, K. 570 (1789)

Intermission

Piano Sonata No. 7 in C Major, K. 309 (1777)
Piano Sonata No. 8 in A Minor, K. 310 (1778)
 
 
Artist Profile 
 
 Pianist Yang Yoonhee made her debut recital at the Konzerthaus Berlin, receiving critical acclaim from Berliner Morgenpost as a "mature pianist who captivates the audience with a luminous, noble, and mesmerizingly beautiful sound." Gramophone UK praised her "unique ability to depict intricate musical textures solely through touch and tone color," while Piano News, Germany described her performances as "consistently bold and confident, filled with deep passion and delicate charm."

Yang Yoonhee studied under Professors Oh Yoon-joo and Choi Hee-yeon at Seoul Arts High School and Seoul National University. She was admitted as the top student to the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin, where she completed her master’s degree under the guidance of Professors Michael Endres and Fabio Bidini. She then pursued the Konzertexamen program at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, studying under Professor Evgeni Koroliov, one of the last representatives of the Russian piano tradition. She graduated with unanimous highest honors.

During her studies in Germany, she was selected as a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholar, receiving the maximum two-year scholarship for music students. Additionally, she was awarded scholarships from the Oscar und Vera-Ritter Stiftung, Gisela und Erich Andreas Stiftung, and Fundacion Albeniz, receiving continuous support throughout her academic career.

Yang Yoonhee has won numerous international competitions, including 1st prize at the Wiesbaden International Piano Competition (Germany), 1st prize at the Elise Meyer Competition (Hamburg), 1st prize at the Verona International Piano Competition (Italy), 2nd prize at the Giuliano Pecar International Competition (Italy), and 3rd prize at the Luciano Gante International Piano Competition (Italy). She was also a semifinalist in the 23rd Clara Haskil International Piano Competition (Switzerland). In 2016, marking the 260th anniversary of Mozart’s birth, she won 2nd prize at the 12th International Mozart Competition in Salzburg, Austria, along with the Best Concerto Interpretation Award from Bärenreiter. Her performance was highly praised by Drehpunktkultur, Austria, describing it as "a rare and flawless performance, combining inner seriousness, emotional depth, and a perfectly balanced interpretation of classical music."

Recognized as one of the most promising pianists of the year, Yang Yoonhee was invited to perform a solo recital at the Konzerthaus Berlin as part of Germany’s largest music festival, Young Euro Classic, where artists such as Christoph Eschenbach, Truls Mørk, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Alexander Gavrylyuk have also performed. She has given solo and chamber music performances at international music festivals, including the Santander International Festival (Spain) and the Montepulciano Music Festival (Italy). She has also performed as a soloist with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, and Vorarlberg Symphony Orchestra, with her performances broadcast live on NDR (Germany), RTBF (Belgium), Yle (Finland), ORF TV (Austria), and M1 TV (Hungary).

In addition to her performance career, she was invited to give a lecture at the Freie Universität Berlin's Contemporary Arts Lecture Series and has also served as a piano instructor at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. After returning to Korea in 2020, she was awarded the 30th Music Journal New Artist Award and launched her domestic career. She was selected as a Young Artist by the TLI Art Center in 2020 and a Rising Artist by the Lotte Foundation for Arts in 2021, performing solo recitals at TLI Art Center and Lotte Concert Hall.

Since her return, she has presented full-length performances of composers' complete works annually at Seoul Arts Center Recital Hall, including Bach’s Three-Part Inventions & Sinfonias, Chopin’s Etudes Op. 10 and Preludes Op. 28, Debussy’s Préludes Book 1, and Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons Op. 37a.** She continues her dedicated and scholarly approach to performance. Since September last year, she has embarked on the Mozart Complete Piano Sonata Series, a four-part project running until 2026.

Currently, she teaches at the Korea National University of Arts, Kyung Hee University, Yewon School, and Seoul Arts High School, contributing to the development of future musicians.

September 27, 2025 (Saturday) 8:00 PM, Seoul Arts Center Recital Hall

Mozart Complete Piano Sonata Series IV
Scheduled for 2026