Han Tong-il

Han Tong-il
Hangul 한동일
Hanja 韓東一[1]
Revised Romanization Han Dong-il
McCune–Reischauer Han Tong'il

Han Tong-il (born 1941) is a South Korean pianist.[2]

Contents

[hide]

Background

Han was born in Hamheung, South Hamgyong, Korea, an area now part of North Korea. He began learning the piano and musical composition from his father at the age of 4. He fled south during the Korean War, ending up in Seoul.[2] He was a guest on the classic American game show, I've Got a Secret, hosted by Steve Allen. Han's secret was that, as a young child, he was discovered during the Korean War and General Samuel E. Anderson arranged a tour at the USA bases in Japan where they raised money for the young child.

Musical career

Han left South Korea on 1 June 1954.[1] He went to the USA with General Anderson to attend Juilliard, where his teachers included Rosina Lhévinne. In 1965, at 23, he won the prestigious Leventritt Competition.[3]

His subsequent career has included numerous performances with major symphony orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic.

Han-il recorded Schubert's Sonata No. 20 in A (D 959) and Brahms' Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor (Opus 5) for SEM Gramophone.

Academic career

Han went on to teach in the music departments of Indiana University, Illinois State University, University of North Texas and Boston University. He returned to Korea in 2005, where he served first as Dean of the College of Music and then as Chair Professor of Music at University of Ulsan. He has also served as Guest Professor at Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima, Japan. In March 2007 he began teaching at Suncheon University, Suncheon, Korea.

References