The Kumho Cultural Foundation announced that pianist Cha Jun-ho (born 2005), an alumnus of its Kumho Prodigy program, won second prize and the special Orfeó Català Foundation Award at the 71st Maria Canals International Piano Competition held in Barcelona, Spain. Cha received prize money of 10,000 euros and earned the opportunity to perform a recital at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona.
The competition is a prestigious international event open to participants aged 17 to 29. Sixty pianists who passed the preliminary rounds advanced to the main competition. Cha progressed through the first and second rounds and the semifinal to reach the final, where he performed Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Jove Orquestra Nacional de Catalunya at the Palau de la Música Catalana concert hall on March 25, securing second place. Zhu Wang took first prize, and Zhiqiao Zhang won third.
"It was not easy because I had to prepare in a short time due to a wrist injury, but I feel great joy at this unexpected result," Cha said. "I will strive to become a more dedicated musician."
Founded in 1954, the Maria Canals Competition is an international event with more than 70 years of history that has produced world-renowned pianists such as Kirill Gerstein. Previous Korean prize winners include Kim Won, Ahn Su-jung, and Kim Hee-jae.
Cha made his debut at the Kumho Prodigy Concert in 2018 and has distinguished himself in major domestic competitions. He has expanded his career internationally through prizes at the Ettlingen International Competition and invited performances abroad. Currently a student at Seoul National University, Cha has drawn heightened attention as a next-generation pianist following this latest award.