Praised as an “artist of enormous prowess” (Verbier Festival Newsletter) with “lots of clarity, confidence, and wisdom” (New York Concert Review) and a “wide range of rich colors” (San Diego Story), pianist Sahun Sam Hong brings his colorful style and riveting energy to the solo, chamber, and concerto stage.
Hong was the winner of the 2017 Vendome Prize at Verbier, and a prizewinner of the Naumburg International Piano Competition and International Beethoven Competition Vienna. He was also the recipient of a 2021 American Pianists Award.
On the roster of Young Steinway Artists since 2010, Hong has been featured as a guest soloist with orchestras including ORF-Vienna, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Camerata New York, Fort Worth, Richardson, Racine, Waco, Galveston, and Brazos Valley Symphony. He has performed in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Vienna Musikverein, Église de Verbier, Merkin Hall, and the Kennedy Center.
A sought-after interpreter of the duo and chamber repertoire, Hong has been invited to perform at major chamber music festivals including Marlboro, Music@Menlo, Ravinia’s Steans Institute, Taos, and Four Seasons. He recently became a member of the Bowers Program (2024-27) at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
In addition to performing, Hong is a prolific arranger of chamber music and orchestral works, and his innovative transcriptions are performed all over the world. The chamber music collective ensemble132 presents Hong’s creative transcriptions on annual tours throughout the United States.
At the age of 16, Hong graduated magna cum laude from Texas Christian University (TCU), studying with John Owings. He also studied with Leon Fleisher and Yong Hi Moon at the Peabody Institute. Hong is currently based in New York City, and serves on the faculty of CUNY Queens College.