Lim Ji-Young shot to fame at the age of 20 when in 2015 she became the first Korean to win the hugely prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competiton in Brussels, beating 69 musicians from 20 different countries. It wasn't an occasion without controversy however, as when the result was announced, another Korean competitor Lee Ji Yoon misheard the live TV announcement and, thinking it was her name that had been called, triumphantly went on stage to receive her prize. Some criticised her playing for being too safe; but, despite the embarrassment, Lim Ji-Young subsequently received the award and, perhaps helped by the surrounding publicity, launched a highly successful career on the back of it.
She first picked up a violin at the age of seven and it was instantly obvious to family and friends that she had a special talent. She went on to study at the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts and made her concert debut when she was 14 at the Kumho Art Center. As her reputation grew she won the Ishikawa Music Award in Japan in 2012 and continued her musical education in study with Kim Nam-Yun at the Korea National University of Art. Other awards along the way included the International Eurasia Music Competition in Japan and the Mozart Prize at the International Music Competition in Indianapolis.
At the forefront of a surge of brilliant young Korean classical musicians, Lim Ji-Young says she owes her success to discipline, dedication and passion. "There are great musicians all over the world who practise and work relentlessly, but I think Korean musicians, more than others, truly dedicate everything to achieve success." The Queen Elisabeth Competition won her 25,000 euros and a four-year loan of a Huggins Stradivarius violin, created in 1708 by Antonio Stradivari. She went on to perform high profile concerts in the US, Canada, Japan and Europe.
