In this photo provided by Cliburn, winners of the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, silver medalist Anne Geniushene from Russia (left), gold medalist Yunchan Lim from South Korea and bronze medalist from Ukraine Dmytro Choni poses for a photo after his final concert on June 18 at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. (Ralph Lauer/Claiborne via AP)
An 18-year-old Korean has won the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, one of the top showcases of the world’s best pianists.
The competition in Fort Worth, Texas, concluded on June 18 with Yunchan Lim becoming the youngest gold medalist in the competition. His bonus includes a $100,000 cash award and three years of career management.
The silver medalist was Anna Geniushene, 31, from Russia, and Dmytro Choni, 28, from Ukraine, took the bronze.
Lim told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he will be discussing with his teachers what the next step in his career should be.
“I’m still a student and I feel like I still have a lot to learn,” Lin said. “It was a great game and I feel the burden of receiving this great honor and award, so I will push myself to live up to the honor I have received today.”
The competition was established in 1962 in honor of the famous pianist Van Cliburn who lived in Fort Worth. Claiborne, who died in 2013 at the age of 78, served for U.S. presidents, royalty and world heads of state. He is best remembered for winning the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958, at the height of the Cold War.
The competition is traditionally held every four years. This year’s competition was originally scheduled to take place last year but was postponed due to the pandemic.
