Kang Byeong-ho, a 23-year-old tubist who came through the Kumho Young Prodigy program, placed third at the Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments in Germany.
The Kumho Cultural Foundation said on the 15th that Kang finished third at the 20th Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments, which closed in Duesseldorf on the 13th, and received prize money of 10,000 euros (about 16 million won).
This year's competition was held in three categories: trumpet, trombone and tuba. Musicians under the age of 28 competed in three rounds within each category, with one player per instrument advancing to the final, where they performed with the Duesseldorf Symphony Orchestra to determine a combined ranking across the three categories.
Kang, who reached the final as the tuba representative, performed Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Concerto for Bass Tuba" to take third place. First place went to German trumpeter Ben Stuemke, and second place to Swiss-British trombonist Sophie Bright.
"I am very pleased that the time I spent preparing with such a strong desire led to a good result," Kang said. "It was all the more meaningful because, as a tuba player, I was able to compete alongside trumpet and trombone players and gain new stimulation and experience."
Launched in 2006, the Aeolus International Competition for Wind Instruments is designed to discover young wind players and support their entry onto the international stage. It covers nine wind instrument categories — flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba — and selects a subset of instruments for competition each year. Among Koreans, bassoonist Kim Min-ju, a former Kumho Young Artist, placed third in 2024.
Born in 2003, Kang made his debut at a Kumho Young Prodigy Concert in 2019 and appeared at a Kumho Young Artist Concert the following year. Earlier this year, he became the first Korean to place third in the tuba category at the Markneukirchen International Instrumental Competition, and with this latest prize he is drawing attention on the international stage. He also took second place at the Jeju International Brass Competition and the Busan Music Competition, and first place at the Woohyun Music Competition, the Yonsei Wind Competition and the Music Journal Competition.
Kang graduated at the top of his class from Seoul Arts High School and is currently studying at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media in Germany. He has performed with the Norddeutsche Philharmonie Rostock, the Clara Schumann Philharmonic Plauen-Zwickau and the Duesseldorf Symphony Orchestra, and has worked as a guest member of ensembles including the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
