Profiles of Festival Artists 2011

Tong-Il Han ~ Artist Spotlight

"Positively dazzling."
~ THE NEW YORK TIMES

"A distinguished performance - fluent, crystal clear, and musically discerning. One can but marvel at the superb virtuosity and musical imagination."
~ THE TIMES, LONDON

"Tong-Il Han is just crammed full of gifts and has such alarming perfection in the subtleties of form and technical security. There is true greatness in him."
~ BERLINER MORGENPOST

"As remarkable a natural talent as I have ever heard ... the impact that wins bravos."
~ CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
~ THE NEW YORK TIMES

"A distinguished performance - fluent, crystal clear, and musically discerning. One can but marvel at the superb virtuosity and musical imagination."
~ THE TIMES, LONDON.

"Tong-Il Han is just crammed full of gifts and has such alarming perfection in the subtleties of form and technical security. There is true greatness in him."
~ BERLINER MORGENPOST

"As remarkable a natural talent as I have ever heard ... the impact that wins bravos."
~ CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Born in the east coast city of Hamhung, North Korea, Tong-Il Han faced an arduous journey through war and its aftermath before realizing his dream. Just one year after he had started to play the family decided to flee to South Korea. Finally, in June 1954, Tong-Il Han left his homeland for the United States where he received a scholarship to study at the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York under the renowned teacher Rosina Lhevinne. Soon thereafter Tong-Il Han performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City at the age of fifteen. His years at Juilliard were followed by a period of study in London with Ilona Kabos. In 1965 Tong-Il Han was selected as the first prize winner in the 24th annual International Leventritt Piano Competition by a jury that consisted of Rudolph Serkin, Leon Fleischer, Gary Graffman, Rudolf Firkunsky, George Szell, William Steinberg and, as its chairman, Leonard Bernstein. Since that time he has been a prominent figure among the world's artists.