Seong-Jin Cho

The precocious talent of South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho came to light with his victory at the International Chopin Competition and has since established him as one of the most remarkable pianists of his generation. Still in his adolescence, Seong-Jin Cho, whom conductor Simon Rattle referred to as "a poet at the piano", drew up a list of the repertoire he wanted to learn by the time he turned 40, having already performed half of the works that seemed foundational to his development. His greater objective, however, is the investment in his musical consistency, amplified by superb virtuosity and luminous lyricism. Photograph © Ben Wolf