Yoahn John Kwon: Chopin on Bechstein

Internationally acclaimed pianist Yoahn Kwon plays Chopin’s epic Four Ballades and his monumental Sonata No.3.

Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23

Ballade No. 2 in F major, Op. 38

Ballade No. 3 in A♭ major, Op. 47

Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52

Sonata No.3 in B Minor, Op.58

Pianist Yoahn John Kwon, a native of South Korea, has won extraordinary critical acclaim for his profound musicianship, sensitivity, and rare insight. Renowned critic Harris Goldsmith called him a ‘versatile and interesting musician who keeps audiences’ attention from beginning to end.’

Mr. Kwon started piano studies at the age of nine. He attended the Pre-College Division of The Juilliard School. After graduating from the LaGuardia High School of Music and Arts, Mr. Kwon received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Mannes College of Music.

At Mannes, he studied piano with Diane Walsh and theory and analysis with Carl Schachter, with a generous scholarship from the Jerry Seinfeld Family Foundation.

Furthermore, Mr. Kwon completed the Stages de Perfectionnement at France’s L’Ecole Normale de Musiques de Paris, studying with Anne Queffelec for four consecutive years.

During his formative years, he studied with pianist Jacob Krichaf (a student of Claudio Arrau) in New York. And later frequently taught by Anton Kuerti, Jacques Rouvier, and John O’Conor.

With the essential interpretation based on his unique touch and detailed musical analysis, his concerts, recitals, concerto appearances, and chamber music performances with members of the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Symphony, and London Philharmonic Orchestra received praise and acclaim from audiences and critics at renowned concert halls worldwide.

As a prolific recording artist, Mr. Kwon has recorded many CDs for Audioguy, WFMT Chicago, and the SONY Classical label.

Alongside his ongoing critically acclaimed concerts, Mr. Kwon’s teaching is highly in demand by prospective students from South Korea. His most recent private students successfully got accepted to many of the highest-level conservatories and universities around the world, such as the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Indiana University in Bloomington, Oberlin College, Cleveland Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music at Rochester University, Northwestern University, University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, HMDK Stuttgart, and Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin.

Mr. Kwon is a concert piano technician, church organist, harpsichordist, and conductor who lives in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.