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Musical prodigies: The price of success in South Korea
The small nation of South Korea is bursting at the seams with talent and tenacity, with young musical prodigies fighting for a spot on the world stage.
Published 3 May 2022 12:45pm
Updated 3 May 2022 2:39pm
By Rhiona-Jade Armont
Source: SBS
Image: Eight year old Seol Yoeun is described as a musical prodigy.
At only eight years old, young violinist Seol Yoeun is already one of the country’s favourite classical virtuosos.
Since Yoeun was just three, her mother has uploaded her best performances to YouTube.
Today, she boasts more than 85 000 followers on YouTube, with some videos racking up as many as six million views.
In South Korea, Seol Yoeun is a well-known violinist and has had some of her performances televised.
Yoeun has made an appearance on one of the country’s most popular talent shows that often features young musicians or dancers.
“The ratings are very high when we have child prodigies on our shows,” says one of the program’s writers, Choi Eun Kyung. “It increases by two to three percent.”
Choi attributes the popularity of young talents in South Korea to an “education fever” and the changing make-up of Korean families.
“Times have changed,” she says. “Before, each family had three or four kids. But nowadays, most have just one child. This is why South Koreans’ interest in these child prodigies has exploded.”
But Yoeun is not the only one chasing the dream of musical fame.
There are more than 50,000 South Koreans under the age of 18 studying music at a professional level.
Only a few reach the top, and the road to fame is paved with challenges for these prodigies.
Competition for the spotlight
Behind success stories such as Yoeun’s are childhoods crammed with endless hours of practise and parents striving to support their children.
“I want to help her as long as she plays the violin,” says Yoeun’s mother, Kim Sujin.
“To make sure she has her lessons, take her to concerts, be by her side and help her when she is practising.”
It’s an enormous undertaking, and one that seemingly will only become more gruelling.
“I think she is popular because she started playing at a very young age and people found her cute,” says Sujin.
Seol Yoeun with her mother Kim Sujin, waiting backstage at a concert.
“If you are good at a young age, it is easier to stand out. But she is getting older and she shouldn't play like a kid anymore. So it’s becoming stressful.
“I need to push her more. She needs to practise more.”
But for Yoeun, playing the violin is a simple pleasure at its core; sharing music as a means of connection and finding peace in the process.
“I just want to be a violinist who brings joy and comfort to people,” she says.
“Without the violin, my life wouldn’t feel the same.”
