Four Cellists Reach the Final Round of the 2025 Isang Yun Competition

Written by Chantal Gapato  |  November 7, 2025

Following two days of semi-final performances in Tongyeong, South Korea, the 2025 Isang Yun Cello Competition has announced the four musicians advancing to its final round.

The final round will take place on 8 November, with each competitor performing a concerto alongside the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra under the direction of Leoš Svárovský. The finalists are Andrew Ilhoon Byun from Canada, A-Hyeon Choi from Korea, Jeri Lee from Korea, and Youbien Lee from Korea.

Byun, Choi, and Jeri Lee will each perform the Dvořák Cello Concerto, while Youbien Lee has chosen the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1. The participants will compete for the top award, along with several special prizes, including the Seong-Yawng Park Special Prize for an outstanding young Korean musician and the UNESCO City of Music Special Prize, an audience award. Additional future performance opportunities will also be given to selected winners.

Following the competition, all finalists will appear in the Winners’ Concert on November 9 at the Gwangju Arts Centre. The jury, chaired by Finnish cellist Arto Noras, includes Clive Greensmith, Louise Hopkins, Doo-Min Kim, Kangho Lee, Troels Svane, Andreas Vierziger, Jian Wang, and Hiroyasu Yamamoto.