Winners announced at The Gurwitz 2024

The Gurwitz International Piano Competition in San Antonio, Texas, has announced its 2024 winners: Yung Yung Guo was awarded Gold, Tatiana Dorokhova Silver, and Young Sun Choi received Bronze in a highly anticipated finale of the competition.

Each medal carries with it $30,000, $20,000, and $10,000, respectively. Additionally, conductor Scott Yoo announced that each medalist would be invited to perform with the Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México during their next season. Musical Bridges Around the Worldthe presenting nonprofit organization behind The Gurwitz, will also invite the medalists back to perform in San Antonio and local Texas areas in the following seasons. In addition, Juror Tanja Dorn, who is head of the global artist management agency Dorn Musicis in talks with The Gurwitz to additionally help propel the medalists’ careers on the international level. 

The competition jury was composed of esteemed pianists and piano producers led by jury chair Scott Yoo, host and producer of the PBS program “Now Hear This” and Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Mexico City Orchestra. 
Jurists were Tanja Dorn of Germany, pianist and founder of Dorn Music, LLC; Michael Fine of the Netherlands, Grammy-winning classical producer; international concert pianist Sergio Tiempo of Argentina/Venezuela; Mikhaïl Voskresensky of Russia, international concert pianist for more than 60 years and top prize winner of the first Van Cliburn competition; and world-renowned pianist Lilya Zilberstein of Russia. Bios are attached.
The 2024 competition encompassed four rounds held over five days in San Antonio at the University of the Incarnate Word, Carver Community Cultural Center, and finally at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts with the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by jury chair Scott Yoo. Some of what makes The Gurwitz unique occurred during Rounds II & III, with performances of works from each contestant’s home country and acommissioned piece by local composer Aaron Prado including an improvised cadenza by the pianist. 

After winning Gold, Shanghai-based pianist Yung Yung Guo wrote: I'm so honored to win the "Gold Medal" in The Gurwitz 2024 International Piano CompetitionIt is my first time to come to America. The time difference of 14 hours was very difficult for me. I even thought I would not make it past the first round because the Schubert Piano Sonata D.960the piece I chose in my first round repertoireneeds very precise control. But due to the jet lag problem, I felt I would not perform the 50 minutes piece well. Fortunately, after four days, the jet lag problem was much less. I really thank my teacher-Moye Chen, He taught me a lot not just music, but also how to adjust my state as an artist. He helped me a lot to overcome a lot of setbacks.

​I am very grateful that in January, I performed nearly six recitals in Shanghai, China, and gradually adapted to the high-intensity life as an artist. And thank you to my fans for always coming! I was so excited that my world can always have somebody to talk with (through music)!

Born in Hong Kong, Yungyung Guo began her piano study at the age of four. After instruction from teachers Jia Xie and Meidan Guo, she graduated from the Affiliated Middle School of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She has been awarded the People’s Scholarship, the Shanghai Scholarship, and the Lily En-Teh New Scholarship. Yungyung has won multiple competitions, among them Third Prize at The Sydney last year.
Besides a number of performances abroad, Guo has performed at and renowned Chinese venues such as the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing), the Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Concert Hall, Shangyin Opera House, He Luting Concert Hall, Hangzhou Grand Theater, Ningbo Concert Hall and Hongtai Concert Hall in Xiamen. Yungyung’s top prize at the (online) Manhattan International Competition led to a recording opportunity under the Orpheus label, with her album to be released soon. 

The Gurwitz, formerly known as the San Antonio International Piano Competition, was founded in 1983 by Dr. Richard Ferguson, Ruth Jean Gurwitz and a group of fellow music lovers. The inaugural Gurwitz piano competition took place in 2020.

Presented by the San Antonio-based nonprofit Musical Bridges Around the World, the competition happens here every four years, and each year is an opportunity for the event to not only grow but market San Antonio as a culturally rich community, placing the city on the global stage of music and culture.

Prizes:
1st Prize: Yungyung Guo (20), Shanghai
2nd Prize: Tatiana Dorokhova (32), Moscow
3rd Prize: Young Sun Choi (30), Seoul

Jury:
Scott Yoo (Chair), Tanja Dorn, Michael Fine, Sergio Tiempo, Mikhail Voskresensky, Lilya Zilberstein

Artists:
Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra / Scott Yoo ( Conductor )

 

©WFIMC2024

Tatiana Dorokhova/ 2nd prize (Piano), Fernando Vizcayno (Violin), Wilfredo Pérez (Violin), Gabriela Jiménez(Percussion), Ignacio Cornejo Diaz (Trumpet), Vico Diaz (Ieona) ©️Robert Michaelson

Young Sun Choi, 3rd prize ©️Robert Michaelson

3rd round award ceremony