PIANIST
Jiwon Han
Biography
South Korea born pianist, Jiwon Han was raised in a family of musicians. At the age of ten, his debut performance drew attention when he appeared as a soloist with Korean Philharmonic Orchestra in 1997 performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K.488. In the same year, he gave his first solo recital at Incheon Culture and Arts Center. He appeared in most of the major concert venues in Korea and continues to give extensive performances around the world, including Japan, France, Germany, Italy, England, Portugal, and the United States.
Jiwon Han has been recognized for his talents, winning many Korean national competitions and auditions including Dong-A Music Concours, Joongang Music Concours, Sungjung Cultural Foundation Competition, and the Korean American Scholarship Foundation Music Competition. In addition, he was a recipient of top prizes from prestigious international competitions including ISANG YUN International Competition, Virginia Waring International Competition, Teresa Carreño International Competition, Weatherford International Piano Competition, and the Franz Liszt Center International Competition. He released two solo albums, ‘Debut’ and ‘Romanticism,’ and two collaborative albums, ‘Bach-Schubert’ live performance with violinist Zia Shin and ‘Works by German Composers’ with violinist Fangting Chen.
Dr. Han is establishing himself as a versatile musician by playing various chamber music and performing as a collaborative pianist with prominent musicians. Especially, He has performed for years exclusively with artists of ÓCREDIA, the leading artist management company in Korea, including violist Richard Yongjae O’neill, Tenor Ji-min Park, and Violinist Zia Shin who is the winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, the Tchaikovsky Competition, and the Long-Thibaud Competition. As an experienced orchestra pianist, he has performed in concerts in a wide range of genres including jazz, pop, and musical productions. In addition, he had shown his musical abilities by working for making television program for live performances broadcasting as a producer for years at Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). As a conductor, he has directed for Amabile Teachers’ Orchestra, GAHS Alumni Concert Orchestra, and the GHM choir in Korea.
As an enthusiastic researcher on classical music, one of his research interests is the music of black and female composers and the history in the U.S. around diversity and equity. His first doctoral dissertation, Performance Edition for Florence Price's Piano Sonata, examined the life of Florence Price, a revolutionary figure in musical composition and equal rights, and the excellence of her sonata. The expanse and quality of the document received an honorable dissertation award at Michigan State University. Dr. Han’s second dissertation on analyses and performance guides for selected saxophone sonatas helps pianists improve their understanding and collaborative skills for chamber music. Future research and performance interests include exploring classical music combined with traditional music of different cultures, including those in Asia, Latin, and Africa.
Dr. Han holds two Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in piano performance and collaborative piano from Michigan State University, Artist Diploma from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he was a recipient of Art of the Piano Foundation Award Scholarship, and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Korea National University of Arts. His primary teachers include Deborah Moriarty, Zhi-hua Tang, Awadagin Pratt, Dae-jin Kim, Oxana Yablonskaya, Choong-Mo Kang, and Young-Bang Cho. He recently joined the faculty members as a collaborative pianist at University of Wyoming. Prior to UW, he taught students as an instructor and teaching assistant at Michigan State University and University of Cincinnati.
The highlight of the upcoming performance schedule in the 2023 season includes ‘Beethoven’s complete cello works’ concerts with cellist Suren Bagratuni at MSU and a solo recital and masterclass at Stephen F. Austin State University.