Mozart Complete Piano Sonatas Series

Pianist Yunhee Yang, praised by legends such as Fou Ts'ong for having "ten fingers gifted by God for Mozart" and by Paul Badura-Skoda for her "dazzling talent for Mozart," is set to take the stage for the grand finale of her Mozart Complete Piano Sonata Series. Having received critical acclaim from European critics as a "rare performance where everything is perfect," Yang now approaches the final chapter of a journey that began in 2024.

Spanning four recitals over two years, this ambitious project culminates in this final performance. As a winner of both the Second Prize and the Special Prize for the Best Interpretation of a Piano Concerto at the 12th International Mozart Competition in 2016, Yang has firmly established herself as a "Mozart Specialist." This stage offers a meaningful opportunity to witness the essence of Mozart’s music, which she has explored and refined over many years.

The program for this series finale offers a comprehensive look at the diverse charms of Mozart's piano works. It begins with K. 311, filled with the vibrant energy of Mozart’s stay in Paris, followed by the elegant and transparent melodic beauty of K. 330. The first half concludes with K. 333, noted for its concerto-like brilliance and rich expressiveness. The second half features K. 576, Mozart’s final piano sonata characterized by sophisticated counterpoint, and concludes with the spectacular finale of K. 331, widely known for its "Rondo alla Turca."

Beyond the mere completion of a cycle, Yunhee Yang’s Mozart series provides a special occasion to encounter authentic and persuasive Mozart, performed by an artist deeply recognized in Mozart's own birthplace, Salzburg.

Program

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

• Piano Sonata No. 9 in D Major, K. 311 (1777)

• Piano Sonata No. 10 in C Major, K. 330 (1783)

• Piano Sonata No. 13 in B-flat Major, K. 333 (1783)

- INTERMISSION -

• Piano Sonata No. 18 in D Major, K. 576 (1789)

• Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K. 331 (1783)

Profile

Pianist Yunhee Yang

Pianist Yunhee Yang garnered international attention as a Mozart specialist in 2016—the 260th anniversary of Mozart's birth—when she won Second Prize and the Special Prize for Best Interpretation of a Piano Concerto (awarded by Bärenreiter) at the 12th International Mozart Competition in Salzburg. Critics at the time hailed her as a "rare performer whose inward seriousness, emotional fullness, and balanced interpretation of classical music make for a perfect performance" (Drehpunktkultur, Austria). Her international career is further bolstered by first prizes at the Wiesbaden International Competition, the Elise Meyer Competition in Hamburg, and the Verona International Competition.

Selected as the "Most Notable Pianist of the Year" at Germany's largest classical festival, Young Euro Classic, she gave an invited recital at the Konzerthaus Berlin. She has also performed as a soloist and chamber musician at the Santander Festival (Spain) and the Montepulciano International Music Festival (Italy). She has collaborated with the Salzburg Chamber Soloists, the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Vorarlberg Symphony Orchestra, with her performances broadcast across Europe on NDR, RTBF, Yle, ORF TV, and M1 TV.

In Korea, she was honored with the 30th Music Journal New Artist Award (2020) and selected as a Young Artist by the TLI Art Center and Lotte Cultural Foundation. Her recent artistic endeavors include complete cycles of major works such as Bach’s Inventions and Sinfonias, Chopin’s Etudes Op. 10 and Preludes Op. 28, Debussy’s Préludes, and Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons. In particular, her Mozart Complete Piano Sonata Series (2024–2026) has been lauded for its depth and insight. Marking the 270th anniversary of Mozart's birth this year, she is set to release a complete album of Mozart's piano sonatas.

A graduate of Seoul Arts High School and Seoul National University, she earned her Master’s degree at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin. She completed her Konzertexamen at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre under the tutelage of Professor Evgeni Koroliov, a master of the Russian pianism lineage. During her studies, she was a DAAD scholar and received support from prestigious foundations including the Oscar und Vera-Ritter, Gisela und Erich Andreas, and Fundación Albéniz.