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News Success Joongkyu Sun Wins Composition competition

University President Prof Rainer Kotzian (left) and Mr and Mrs Schwander congratulate Joonkyu Sun on his win.

The composer Joongkyu Sun (class of Prof. Peter Gahn) won the 2nd composition competition of the "Professor Hermann Schwander and Renate Ott-Schwander Foundation". His piece, 'raschhineilend', which captures the essence of a weeping willow through its materiality, movements and changes, was selected by the jury as a compulsory piece for the 6th Nuremberg Percussion Competition in 2026. It was also awarded prize money of 1,000 euros. Congratulations!

Joongkyu Sun is a composer who started his artistic career in Seoul, South Korea. He explores Korean traditional music and Western compositional techniques in his work. He completed a Bachelor's degree in Composition, majoring in both Korean Traditional Music and Western Composition, at Hanyang University. He then went on to complete a master's degree in Korean Traditional Music Composition at the same institution.

His works have been performed and honoured at numerous composition competitions and music festivals. In 2025, he won first prize in a composition competition organised by the Professor Hermann Schwander and Renate Ott-Schwander Foundation in Germany. He was also honoured with second prize at the 30^(th) KBS Korean Traditional Music Grand Competition (Composition) and the Excellence Award at the Korean National Composition Award. His other prizes include first prizes at the Onnara and Dong-A Korean Traditional Music Competitions. Additionally, one of his pieces was selected for the Seoul Contemporary Music Festival.

He has been studying for a Master's degree in Composition at Nuremberg University of Music in Prof. Peter Gahn's class since October 2024.