Lee Su-bin takes 3rd at Wieniawski Competition, first Korean to place in 10 years

Violinist Lee Su-bin, 26, has taken third place at the 17th Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition — the first Korean to place at the competition in 10 years, since Kim Bom-sori.

According to her agency Credia, Lee performed Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 14 with the Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Lukasz Borowicz in the final round held in Poznan, Poland. The prize carries a cash award of 15,000 euros ($16,800). First place went to Bohdan Luts, 21, of Ukraine, and second place to Li Jinzhu, 19, of China.

The Wieniawski Competition was first held in Warsaw in 1935 to mark the centenary of the birth of Polish violin virtuoso and composer Henryk Wieniawski (1835–1880). It is considered the oldest surviving international violin competition.

Polish violinist Bartlomiej Niziol served as jury president, with South Korea's Yang Sung-sik and Japan's Akiko Suwanai among the other jurors.

The competition is held roughly every five years. Its inaugural edition in 1935 saw Ginette Neveu take first place and David Oistrakh second; Oistrakh's son Igor Oistrakh then claimed first place in 1952. Previous Korean prizewinners include violinists Han Su-jin (joint second, 2001), Yoon So-young (first, 2011) and Kim Bom-sori (joint second, 2016).

Lee picked up the violin at age four and made her debut at the Kumho Young Artist Concert in 2010, the same year she won first place at the Russian International Youth Violin Competition. She went on to win the Moscow David Oistrakh International Violin Competition in 2013 and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York in 2014, placed at the Indianapolis International Violin Competition in 2022, and received an award at the Montreal International Musical Competition in 2023. Since September 2025, she has been serving as artist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium.

Violinist Chung Kyung-wha, a longtime mentor of Lee, sent a congratulatory message through Credia. "I am truly proud of violinist Lee Su-bin, who has boldly proven her own deep and refined musical world on the great stage of the world," she said. "I offer my deepest applause for the conviction and artistic integrity that have grown stronger through this fierce competition, and I hope she takes her next leap forward in peace of body and mind."

Chung added: "This achievement is not an end, but a brilliant starting point in a great journey toward an ever-wider musical horizon. With all my heart, I bless and look forward to the future of Lee Su-bin as an incomparable artist who will lead the world stage."