The Kumho Cultural Foundation said Monday that pianist Lee Jae-yong, 17, an alumnus of the Kumho Prodigy program, took third place in the Young Artists category at the 2026 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition held in Salt Lake City, Utah.
At the competition, which closed Friday local time, Lee received the third prize along with prize money of $5,000. "I am very happy to win an award at such a large competition," he said. "I will strive to create more authentic music on the occasion of this award."
Korean winners distinguished themselves throughout the competition. In the Junior category, which concluded on the 20th, pianist Lee Joo-eon, also a Kumho Prodigy alumnus, took first place, receiving a gold medal and prize money of $10,000.
The Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition is a leading American international piano competition founded in 1976 to honor the Greek-born pianist Gina Bachauer (1913-1976). It is held in adult, young artists, and junior categories, and this year the young artists and junior categories were held. Past Korean winners include Park Jae-hong (2016, Young Artists), Shin Chang-yong (2018, Adult), and Sun Yul (2024, Adult).
This year's Young Artists category was held from the 21st through the 27th. Participants selected from around the world advanced through preliminary rounds, with five finalists reaching the finals. Lee Jae-yong took third place by performing Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major in the finals. First place went to Zhuyi Xiao of China and second place to Eunha Basu of the United States.
Born in 2009, Lee Jae-yong made his debut at the Kumho Prodigy Concert in 2025. He distinguished himself by winning first place at the Music Journal Competition and the Music Chunchu Competition, as well as first place at Taiwan's National Student Music Competition and the Taipei Taiwan International Piano Competition. He moved to Taiwan in 2022 and is currently studying under Kim Bo-kyung and Liao Chao-han. This fall, he is scheduled to enter the Juilliard School in the United States to study under Robert McDonald.
