The workshop ran Aug. 7–8 and Aug. 21–22 at K-Arts’ Seochodong campus in Seoul, the report said. It is one of four discipline tracks — alongside dance, traditional arts and visual arts — in a project that began with a dance workshop in Gwangju in July and is designed to give gifted young artists both professional training and real field experience.
1:1 lessons from K-Arts professors, with former president Kim Dae-jin advising
At the center of the program were one-on-one performance lessons. Piano students worked with professors Jeong Ji-young, Lee Hwa-kyung and Yoon Yu-jin; violin with Kim Sung-sook; and cello with Choi Min-ji, Monthly Chosun reported. The sessions examined not only each student’s playing but also the habits and attitudes they bring as performers.
Former K-Arts president Kim Dae-jin — known for training pianists including Son Yeol-eum, Kim Sun-wook and Moon Ji-young, who perform on world stages — served on the advisory committee alongside K-Arts professors Lee Kang-ho and Kim Young-wook. Kim, who returned to gifted-music education after leaving the university presidency, is known for valuing each performer’s musical individuality and interpretation as much as technical skill.
Composer Ahn Seong-min asks students why music is written, not just how to play it
The workshop layered masterclasses from top Korean musicians on top of the private lessons, letting students see their playing through other experts’ eyes. A lecture by composer Ahn Seong-min, winner of the Grieg International Composition Competition in Norway, pushed the perspective further: performers usually start from how to express a score, while composers start from why it is written that way, Monthly Chosun reported. Bringing gifted performers into contact with the creative side of music was meant to widen their view beyond their own instrument.
Students tested their training on a real stage
On the final day, the students gave a recital, performing for an actual audience what they had worked on in lessons and masterclasses. The point, as the report framed it, was to close the gap between the practice room and the stage — a distance that remains even for well-prepared playing once a performer stands in front of listeners.
Mentoring, a winter camp and a January 2027 gala follow the workshop
The project does not end with the workshops. Advanced mentoring began in October, followed by a winter intensive camp, Monthly Chosun reported. In January 2027, the young artists are scheduled to present what they have learned at a gala performance and results-sharing program, with their growth documented in a documentary, online content and a digital archive.
Project organizers announce discipline-specific leadership
Who runs the 2026 K-Arts Gifted Project?
Four fields: music, dance, traditional arts and visual arts, each with workshops tailored to the discipline.
A gala performance and results-sharing program is planned for January 2027, after mentoring that began in October and a winter intensive camp.
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