School of Music pianist excels in international competition

Penn State School of Music graduate student Jiwon Ha, a pianist from South Korea, recently won third prize at the Seventh New York International Artists Competition, which included participants from the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, China, Korea, Singapore and Thailand. She will receive her medal and perform in the winners' recital at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, at Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center.

Ha is a doctor of musical arts candidate and teaching assistant in the School of Music. She made her New York City debut in 2015 at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall as a winner in the American Protégé International Competition. She has been awarded top prizes in several national competitions in Korea, including Eumaksekye Summer Music Festival Competition (2008), Busan Department of Education Piano Competition (2002), Korean Society for Music Education Piano Competition (2001), Korea Herald Music Competition (1999) and Seoul Economic Daily Co. Ltd. Piano Competition (1999). Also, she appeared as a soloist with the Pusan National University Philharmonic Orchestra (2012).

Ha received her bachelor of music degree from Pusan National University, under the guidance of Quentin Kim, and master of music degree and artist diploma from the State University of New York at Purchase, where she studied with Paul Ostrovsky and Stephen Buck. At Penn State, she is a student of Christopher Guzman, and serves as a teacher for class piano and applied lessons for undergraduate students.