Isang Yun Competition Reveals 2025 Cello Semi-Finalists

Written by Chantal Gapato  |  November 5, 2025

After two days of performances in Tongyeong, South Korea, the Isang Yun Cello Competition has confirmed the ten musicians who will continue to the semi-final stage of its 2025 edition.

Chosen from 24 participants in the opening round on 2 and 3 November, the semi-finalists are Seungyeon Baik (Korea), Andrew Ilhoon Byun (Canada), Taewoong Chae (Korea), A-Hyeon Choi (Korea), Alex Lau (Hong Kong), Jeri Lee (Korea), Youbien Lee (Korea), Francesco Stefanelli (San Marino, Italy), Jakob Giovanni Taylor (United States), and Simon Tetzlaff (Germany).

The next round, scheduled for 5 and 6 November, requires each cellist to perform a 45–50 programme with piano. The program must include Isang Yun’s Espace (1992), either one of Beethoven’s Op.102 sonatas or a Brahms sonata, and another piece selected from works by Schubert, Robert Schumann, Debussy, Shostakovich, or Prokofiev.

Those who advance to the final will perform a concerto with the Tongyeong Festival Orchestra on 8 November, competing for prizes totaling KRW 79,000,000 (£42,100), with the first prize worth KRW 30,000,000 (£16,000).

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.