Biography
New Zealand pianist, Jason Bae was born in Daejeon, South Korea in 1991 where he began studying piano at the age of five. At the age of twelve, he made his concerto debut with Auckland Symphony Orchestra performing Grieg Piano Concerto Op. 16. A year later, he became the youngest concerto soloist to perform with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra for the 'SkyCity Starlight Symphony Concert in the Park' at the Auckland Domain in front of 200,000 people. Under the baton of Rossen Milanov, Jason performed Stravinsky’s Concerto for Piano and Winds as a soloist with New Zealand National Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2010. He has also appeared as a concerto soloist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra of Australia, Auckland Youth Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Bach Musica.
Jason was awarded 1st Prize in the 2008 Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in New York, which led to a performance at the Carnegie Hall in Weill Recital Hall. In the same year, he won the New Zealand Young Performer of the Year. In 2009, he won 2nd prize at the Lev Vlassenko International Piano Competition in Brisbane, Australia, where he also received the ‘Pnina Salzman Memorial Prize for the Best Performance of Work by Chopin’. Then in 2010 Jason’s performance of Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No.1 achieved 1st Prize at the University of Auckland Gala Concerto Competition. Jason has competed in the 2012 Dublin International Piano Competition, graduating to the second round. He was the Grand 1st Prize Winner of the 2013 New Zealand Inaugural Wallace National Piano Competition. This year, Jason has competed in 2015 Hastings International Piano Competition in United Kingdom. He was also awarded with 2nd Prize with orchestra vote at 2015 London Classical Soloists Conducting Competition.
Jason was the first New Zealander to be invited by the former Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage of New Zealand, Hon. Christopher Finlayson, to present a piano solo recital at the Grand Hall of New Zealand Parliament, ‘Beehive’. Also, he has performed for the former Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir. Anand Satyanand, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, and the former President of European Commission, Jose Manuel Barosso.
In 2012, Jason presented his sold-out debut piano recital at Auckland Town Hall. In the 2014-15 season, Jason will be giving recital at Steinway Hall in London, St. James’s Church Piccadilly in London, Asia House London and 11 piano recitals around New Zealand as an artist of 2015 Chamber Music New Zealand Encompass Tour. Also, he will be performing Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 with GOODEN.SEMBLE in London, Beethoven Piano Concerto No.5 Op.73 with Bach Musica in Auckland Town Hall and Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 with Bay of Plenty Symphonia in New Zealand. Jason has just recorded his first CD with Austrian Gramophone at Vienna Konzerthaus and it will be released on September this year.
Jason received his Master of Arts in piano performance with the DipRAM at the Royal Academy of Music in London under the tutelage of Christopher Elton and Joanna MacGregor in 2015. He received his Bachelor of Music in piano performance with First Class Honours at the University of Auckland under Dr. Rae de Lisle in 2013. Jason also studied at the Aspen Music Festival and School with Ann Schein and John O’Conor from 2007 to 2013.
Jason is the first New Zealander to become the Young Steinway Artist since 2012. He has been a proud beneficiary of Lewis Eady Charitable Trust in Auckland since 2004, and he is an artist of ‘Talent Unlimited’ in London since 2014. In 2015, Jason became the first South Korea-born New Zealander Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society awarded by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. Since 2013, Jason has been appointed as the youngest conductor of God’s Vision Church Choir in London and he became the youngest principal conductor of the Korean London Concert Choir this year.
Jason’s first CD ‘Marylebone’ was released on September 2015 by Austrian Gramophone. It is available here: www.jasonbaepianist.com/media/
