Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Dostoyevsky, Rilke, Caballe, Carlos Kleiber, and Russell Sherman.
Sounds Like
“She played the Schubert with a beautiful, full, velvety quality of tone, a vocal degree of rhythmic freedom, and a real generosity and sweetness of emotion.” Richard Dyer, Boston Globe
"This young Korean-born American artist dressed, in a stapless black gown, seemed to meld with the ebony Steinway in a way that seemed impossible. Her intensity produced a kind of concentrated concentration and, at times, there was an almost spiritual quality present. This reviewer was sitting where her hands could not be seen and wondered if she was even touching the keys, if somehow her thoughts were magically making the piano play itself." D. J. Luksetich, Chicago Sun-Times
“Ahn is a go-for-it pianist, delighting in highly differentiated dynamics and colors, and is possessed of a strong-rooted sense of rhythm. The second movement’s slow, sad waltz begun by the piano solo showed Ahn’s ability to spin out a long skein of melody, responding to its quirky turnings and controlling its accumulations and releases of tension.” Susan Larson, Boston Globe
"Ahn's superior mastery, with its subtle but hypnotizing opening bass and sometimes agonizing, violent dancing, caused a stir among the audience, pulling them, willing or not, into the heart of the music." D. J. Luksetich, Chicago Sun-Times
“Her playing had such utter, rapt poise.” Richard Dyer, Boston Globe
Pianist Soojin Ahn opened the Music Society of St. Cecilia's first chamber music series Saturday night with a recital of amazing verve, variety, and excellence." Patricia Beach Smith, Sacramento Bee
"She was undaunted, providing a dazzling display of virtuoso playing from first note to last." C.J. Gianakaris
“Her playing is a paradox of elegance and excitement, poetry and fire.” Janie Caves McCauley, The Greenville News
“When she plays, she can take you straight through to Tipperary - or the moon.” Russell Sherman
Pianist Soojin Ahn has performed throughout North America, Europe, and Asia to unanimous critical acclaim from the critics and the public. Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe called her performance “rapt and enthralling”, and Susan Larson, also of the Boston Globe, wrote after her performance of the Ravel concerto, “Ahn, on the attack, was all over the piano- percussive, fluid, flamboyant”.
Ms. Ahn has won prizes in many international competitions, most notably the Gilmore Young Artist Award and was voted as the audience favorite at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw. Since then she has soloed with orchestras including Boston Pops, Jupiter Symphony (NYC), Omaha Symphony, Colorado Springs Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, and New England Chamber Orchestra. In 2001, she was invited by Maestro David Robertson to perform Messiaen’s Turangalila Symphony with Chicago Civic Orchestra. As a recitalist, she has performed in venues including Alice Tully Hall in New York City, Jordan Hall and Symphony Hall in Boston, and in Philadelphia under the auspices of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Her performances have been broadcast frequently on WFMT, Chicago. Her recent performance at the Fazioli Salon Series in November of 2006 has been voted as the “Best Performance of the Year” and was re-broadcast at the end of the year. She has stunned the music community when she performed the twenty-four etudes of Chopin in a single concert at age fifteen for her debut recital at the Sejong Cultural Center in Korea.
Ms. Ahn began playing the piano at the age of three in her native Korea. At age nine, she moved to the United States to continue her musical studies. Her teachers include Menahem Pressler, Russell Sherman, and Yoheved Kaplinsky. She holds B.M. and M.M. from the New England Conservatory, and Advanced Certificate from the Juilliard School.
Soojin Ahn comes from a very distinguished musical family. Her grandfather, Byung-Soh Ahn, was a violinist and the founding music director of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and her grandmother Aene Lee, a foremost pianist in Korea.
Happy New Year! I have a strong feeling that 2008 has wonderful things in store for you! Have a amazing new year!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks again for your friendship... you are terrific! Kris
Hello there, thank you for your friend request! Your playing is very beautiful. Congratulations on your successes thus far, and I wish you the best of luck in your career!
hi! your page looks really nice! i remember when i was young, listening to you practice that chopin etude. i thought it sounded like teeny bugs running around all over the place. haha!
