Ian Yungwook Yoo was the First Prize winner by unanimous vote of the 1998 Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition. Since then, he has performed in over 20 countries throughout the world, and has released his first commercial CD under the Naxos label, featuring piano transcriptions by Franz Liszt. Mr. Yoo was previously a winner of several national and international competitions, including the Montreal International Music Competition (1996) and Kosciuszko Chopin Competition in the United States (1994). In 2004, he was awarded the second prize from the International E-Competition in the United States, and the first prize from the First International Piano Competition of Panama. Mr. Yoo recently won the first prize in the 2nd International Beethoven Piano Competition in Bonn, Germany as well as the second prize in the 16th Vianna da Motta Music Competition.
Mr. Yoo has performed with important orchestras including St. Petersburg Symphony, France National, Spanish National and Dresden Symphony under the baton of such notable conductors as James Conlon, Sergiu Comissiona, Pinchas Steinberg, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos and Victor Pablo. The prestigious venues he performed at include Wigmore Hall in London, the 92nd St. Y in New York, Tonhalle in Zurich, UNESCO Hall in Paris, Palau de la Musica in Barcelona and the Auditorio Nacional de Musica in Madrid. He has also been a featured soloist in many international festivals such as the Berliner Begegnungen, Ruhr Klavierfestival, Hundisburg, Yokohama, Radio France and Al Bustan.
In 1996, he enrolled at the Juilliard School, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in 2001. Since 2002, he has been studying with Solomon Mikowsky at Manhattan School of Music, where he received the degree of Master of Music in 2004, and where he is currently undertaking the Doctoral of Musical Art Program as a recipient of the Elva Van Geldar Memorial Scholarship.

Ian Yungwook Yoo is represented by Ludwig van Beethoven Association.