Now In Korea
Lotte Foundation to Host 3rd International Organ Competition of Korea; New Works by Lee Ha-neuri and Thierry Escaich Selected
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Lotte Cultural Foundation, together with the Korean Organists Association, will host the 3rd International Organ Competition of Korea (IOCK). Preliminary registration runs from March 30 to May 31, and the semifinals and finals will take place in February 2027 at Lotte Concert Hall and Bucheon Arts Center. The IOCK is Korea’s only international organ competition, aimed at discovering young organists worldwide and supporting their international careers. Two newly commissioned works have been appointed as required pieces for the semifinals: an organ solo by rising Korean composer Lee Ha-neuri and an organ concerto by French composer and Notre-Dame organist Thierry Escaich. The competition will test musicians on two different instruments — the powerful Austrian Rieger organ at Lotte Concert Hall and the warmer-toned Canadian Casavant organ at Bucheon Arts Center — to evaluate performers’ adaptability and instrument understanding. The final round will include both a recital and concerto performance with orchestra. An international jury led by Ben van Oosten (Netherlands) includes Escaich (France), Rie Hiroe (Japan), Nathan Laube (USA), and Park Sohyun (Korea). Prize winners receive cash and career support; the first-place winner will be offered a concerto appearance with the Seoul Metropolitan Philharmonic and a recital in the Lotte Concert Hall organ series, helping launch their international career.
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