Once Called a Miracle to Survive, She Reached the Top from a Wheelchair
Creatrip Team
7 months ago
Violinist Im Hyun-jae (28) won the 4th Elma Oliveira International Violin Competition (EOIVC) in Boca Raton, Florida, performing from a wheelchair with the University of Lynn Philharmonia the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor. She also took two special prizes for best performances of the commissioned piece “Wood Sprite” and Ysaÿe’s unaccompanied sonata, completing a triple crown. Im began violin at seven and studied at the Curtis Institute, but returned to Korea during COVID-19 and suffered a severe car accident in May 2020 that required six surgeries and two years in hospital. After four years of recovery she resumed practice in June 2024, quickly returning to competition—reaching semifinals in the Yoon I-sang (Yun I-sang) International Music Competition and the Sibelius Violin Competition, winning the Seoul International Music Competition, and then EOIVC. The EOIVC, founded by Tchaikovsky winner Elma Oliveira to support young musicians, is held every three years for players aged 18–30. Im received $30,000 (about 44 million won) for first place and $20,000 (about 30 million won) in special prizes, plus over 30 international concert opportunities in New York, Boston, Cremona (Italy) and elsewhere over the next three years.
