Donghoon Shin wins Claudia Abbado Composition Prize 2022

London based Korean composer Donghoon Shin has been announced as the winner of the Claudio Abbado Composition Prize presented by the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker in honour of their Chief Conductor from 1989–2002. Awarded at irregular intervals, the recipient of the Claudio Abbado Composition prize is commissioned to write a work for members of the Karajan Academy.

Donghoon Shin’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra will be premièred in May 2022 at a Gala Concert to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Karajan Academy. The orchestra, conducted by the Chief Conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Kirill Petrenko, will be a combination of current scholars of the Karajan Academy and alumni who are members of the Berliner Philharmoniker. The soloist is Bruno Delepelaire, first principal cellist of the 0rchestra and former graduate of the Karajan Academy. The programme will open with Mozart’s Linz Symphony under conducting scholar Nodoka Okisawa and concludes with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony under Kirill Petrenko.

The Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker was an initiative of Herbert von Karajan who had the idea of organising the training of young orchestra musicians for the Berliner Philharmoniker in an academy. The commission is composed for the musical and artistic qualities of the current scholarship holders and is rehearsed by the composer with the scholarship holders.

Born in South Korea in 1983, Donghoon Shin’s works are performed by international orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, LA Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. Living in London, Donghoon Shin is currently studying for his doctorate with Sir George Benjamin. His teachers and mentors include Julian Anderson, Sukhi Kang, Unsuk Chin and Peter Eötvös.

In 2019, Shin was selected as a laureate of ricordilab, an international programme of the music publisher Ricordi Berlin for the promotion of young composers.