The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation has announced that several of its scholars have secured prestigious prizes at major international piano competitions. The announcement highlights the global recognition of the foundation's supported musicians following a series of high-profile performances and competition finals in late 2026.
Among the top achievements, Lee Jung-woo earned first place in the piano category at the 20th George Enescu International Competition. The competition final was held at the Bucharest Athenaeum in Bucharest, Romania, on September 19, 2026. Additionally, scholar Shin secured second place in the piano category at the 76th Giambattista Viotti International Music Competition held in Vercelli, Italy.
Other notable winners in the international piano circuit include Yui Higashijima, who took first place in the professional division of the 2026 Manhattan International Piano Competition in New York, United States. In that same competition, Ilia Tatishvili of Georgia placed third.
In Japan, Taikai Okumura claimed first place in the high-school piano division of the 31st Mie Music Competition at the Mie Prefectural Cultural Hall. In addition to the division title, Okumura was awarded the Mie Governor’s Prize. Meanwhile, Kanon Okabe won the high-school piano division at the 28th Japan Performers Competition held at Konan Public Hall in Yokohama, Japan. The competition saw Mio Kanno and Kazuho Itakura share second place, while Miyu Sato took third place.
In Europe, fourteen-year-old Greek pianist Angelina Tsiantzi Mante, originally from Santorini, received second prize at the WPTA Italy International Piano Competition 2026. The award ceremony for the competition was held at Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio in Madrid, Spain, on October 15, 2026.
These recent accolades underscore a period of significant achievement for emerging classical musicians across various international stages and competitive divisions.