On June 4, 2026, the Mapo Cultural Foundation will present the 2026 M Artist program: Seon-yul — Piano Recital I.
The M Artist program selects one classical musician each year who shows the potential to become a major artist, then introduces that artist’s range to audiences through a series of concerts. The foundation named pianist Kim Do-hyun its inaugural M Artist in 2023, chose violinist Kim Dong-hyun in 2024, and selected baritone Park Ju-seong in 2025 — the first vocalist appointed as a resident musician at a domestic concert venue — presenting varied programs each year.
The theme for Seon-yul’s first recital in June is The Transcendental: Beyond Limits. For the opening program she has chosen repertoire that highlights both formidable technique and refined expression. In Part I she will perform Francis Poulenc’s 15 Improvisations — a sequence of short pieces, each roughly one to three minutes long, that flow together with shifting harmonies and intersecting rhythms. Having studied in France, Seon-yul developed a natural affinity for French composers, and audiences are eager to hear how she will shape the set’s subtle color changes.
Notably, the fifteenth piece is an homage to the legendary French singer Édith Piaf; it evokes the lingering sense that follows a life of bright, public moments. Seon-yul described the piece as “like the quiet, hollow feeling on the ride home after a full day at an amusement park — after seeing the parade and everything else.”
In Part II she will present Franz Liszt’s complete 12 Transcendental Études, works widely regarded as among the most demanding in the piano repertoire. The cycle requires not only extraordinary technique but sustained concentration to preserve musical flow; this will be the first time Seon-yul performs the entire set on a domestic recital stage.
Pianist Seon-yul won the 2024 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, taking first prize along with the Audience Award and the Student Jury Award. She also claimed first place at the 2024 Seoul International Music Competition. On the European circuit, she placed second and won the Best Performance of a 20th-Century Work prize at the 2026 Ljubljana Festival International Competition, reinforcing her reputation as a rising virtuoso.
Reflecting on her selection as M Artist, Seon-yul said the process prompted her to reconsider who she is, what she likes, and what music she wants to play. “These three concerts are one story and a journey to find myself,” she said. “I programmed them like a personal assignment after 15 years at the piano.”
The program’s second recital in September, titled The Lasting Narrative: An Unfinished Story, will feature Chopin’s Four Scherzos and Schubert’s Piano Sonata No. 20, offering Seon-yul’s deep, individual interpretations.
For more details about the 2026 M Artist Seon-yul Piano Recital I, visit the foundation’s website.
