14-year-old prodigy from South Korea receives Nathan Waks’ 18th-century master cello
At the close of the inaugural Classic Cello International Competition in London, 14-year-old Jung A Kim received a prize no competition had offered before: the loan of Nathan Waks’ 18th-century Italian cello.
On 6 April, at the close of the inaugural Classic Cello International Competition in London, a 14-year-old Korean cellist named Jung A Kim walked onto the stage at the Royal College of Music and received a prize that no competition had ever offered before.
€50,000. And the loan of an 18th-century Italian cello worth half a million dollars.
Jung A Kim is, in Nathan’s own words, “one of the most amazing talents I have ever heard.” The cello she received, crafted circa 1770 and believed to have been commissioned by the Medici, will be hers for a minimum of two years, maintained and insured throughout her tenure by world-renowned luthier Florian Leonhard MBE.
Nathan, who was himself the youngest Principal Cello of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at 19, has spent more than 40 years with this instrument. Hearing it pass to Jung A Kim, he said simply:
“It is in great hands.”
This is what OCTARR was built for.
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