Alpin Hong

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alpin Hong

Alpin Seung-Ki Hong (born 1976) is an American classical pianist known for his intensely energetic technique and showmanship.

Hong was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and made his orchestral debut with the Kalamazoo Symphony at age 10. At age 12, Hong lost both parents in a car accident, and moved with his younger brother to live with an aunt in Los Angeles, California. He attended high school at Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California.

After briefly studying pre-med at UCLA, Hong matriculated at the Juilliard School in New York, where he earned his master's degree studying piano under Jerome Lowenthal.

In 2001, Hong won First Prize in the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, the first time in eight years that a pianist had been so honored. As a result of the award, Hong was invited to play at Carnegie Hall, a performance praised in a New York Times review as presenting "crystalline energy [...] clear and persuasive ideas [...] and remarkable breadth of coloration."

In March 2005, Hong released a solo CD under the Concert Artists Guild label featuring performances of compositions by Brahms, Debussy, Scarlatti and Stravinsky.