When last year’s Queen Elisabeth Competition winner, pianist Nikola Meeuwsen who performed with the CPO on 4 June, praises another winner, cellist Hayoung Choi, saying he is sorry to miss her concert on 18 June 2026, then you know you have something special! PETA STEWART finds out more.
Hayoung, who won the competition in 2022, is the soloist in the third Winter Symphonies at the City Hall season on 18 June. She will perform the Haydn C Major Cello Concerto, with Bernhard Gueller on the podium. Gueller will also conduct the Romantic showpiece, the Symphony No. 7 by Anton Bruckner.
Hayoung, making her debut in South Africa, is playing a concerto she first played when she was 10.“I was fascinated by its brilliance, energy and the excitement of performing a concerto,” she says.
Combination of wit, elegance, sophistication
“As I have grown older, my relationship with the work has changed naturally. What interests me increasingly is Haydn’s unique ability to combine elegance with wit and sophistication. The concerto has a wonderful sense of charm and humour, yet at the same time everything is crafted with great precision and intelligence. In a way, the piece has grown together with me over the years, and each performance feels connected to a different stage of my life and artistic development.”
Hayoung remembers sage advice given to when she was 10 by cellist Bernard Greenhouse: Aim to be a great musician, not a good cellist. “I have always kept this in mind,” she says.
She notes that while she has learned from many inspiring teachers and musicians like Frans Helmerson, Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt and Ivan Monighetti, “chamber music collaborations have also shaped me enormously, especially working with great musicians and mentors such as Sir András Schiff. Every meaningful musical encounter changes something in your perspective. What continues to inspire me most is the endless possibility of discovery. Even pieces I have played for many years can suddenly reveal something completely new. I love the feeling that music is never fixed – it keeps evolving together with your experiences, emotions and imagination.”
For Hayoung, music was always part of her life as there was always music around at home in Bieleveld.
Incredible range of colours
“As a child I explored many different artistic activities. I started with both cello and harp, but I also spent a great deal of time singing, dancing and acting in theatre. Over time it became increasingly clear that music was what I wanted to dedicate myself to; the realisation developed gradually through performing, practising and discovering more and more repertoire. I was drawn to the cello because of its incredible range of colours and its ability to express both strength and intimacy in such a direct way.”
Although Hayoung has won several competitions including the 3rd Krzysztof Penderecki International Cello Competition and the Johannes Brahms International Competition, it was winning the 2022 Queen Elisabeth Competition for Cello that opened many international doors.
“I am deeply grateful for everything that came from it – opportunities to work with wonderful orchestras, conductors and musicians. At the same time, I still see competitions as only one moment in a much longer artistic journey. What remains most important to me is continuing to grow and staying curious as a musician,” she says.
England, Spain, Germany
Hayoung’s musical education has comprised three countries … England, Spain and of course Germany.
“Both country and teachers influenced me. Each place had a very different atmosphere and musical culture, which was deeply enriching. England was where I spent important formative years during middle school (at the Purcell School), and it gave me a broad musical and personal foundation. Germany was very important for my development, especially during my time at Kronberg Academy and later in Berlin, while both Germany and Spain (Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid) shaped me through intensive soloistic training, chamber music studies, various masterclasses, and the opportunity to meet and perform with many inspiring musicians from different backgrounds, each within a very different musical atmosphere.
“The surroundings and atmosphere of each place also shaped me beyond music itself – the people, languages and daily life all influenced the way I think and work as a musician. Ultimately, though, the teachers themselves were probably the most important influence.
“At the moment I am also continuing my studies part-time at the Universität der Künste Berlin, where I am studying baroque cello. This has opened another fascinating perspective on sound, style and historical performance.”
Hayoung is not only a cellist but she is, says Nikola Meeuwsen, a fantastic painter as well, something she has in common with her sister the violinist Song-Ha. “My time is mainly divided between concerto performances, recitals and performing duo repertoire with SongHa, which is something very personal and special to me. I also enjoy giving masterclasses in some of the places I visit for performances.” Hopefully Hayoung will be giving a masterclass to the cellists of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra while she is here.
She is looking forward to coming to Cape Town, in part for the scenery and the walks –“being near forests or mountains, and simply having quiet moments outdoors helps me reset mentally and emotionally, especially during busy periods of travelling and concerts:”. She is also looking forward to meeting this orchestra for the first time and discovering together how they can shape the music during rehearsals and performance. She will leave the CPO for Austria where she will perform the Rocoo Variations by Tchaikovsky with the Basel Chamber Orchestra.
The dress rehearsal for the CPO concert on the same day is open to the public at 11:00. There will be a pre-concert talk open to concertgoers at 18:45
Who Hayoung Choi with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra
Where Cape Town City Hall
When Thursday, June 18 at 19:30
Concert tickets: Here
CPO: Artscape Dial-A-Seat 021 421 7695
Dress rehearsal tickets: Here
WS
