Pianist Han Tong-il / Korea Times file

Pianist Han Tong-il, a pioneer in the Korean classical music scene, died on Sunday. He was 83.

Han is celebrated as the first Korean classical musician to gain international recognition. He made history in 1965 by becoming the first Korean to win a prize at an international competition, securing a victory at the Leventritt Competition at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

At just 23, Han impressed the jury, led by renowned American pianist Leonard Bernstein, as well as the audience, showcasing his talent to the international classical music scene as a pianist from a then lesser-known country.

Born in 1941 in Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province, now in North Korea, Han started playing the piano at age 3. His father was a musician who later became a timpanist for the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.

Han learned piano from his father's friends during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Soon after the war, Han headed to the United States with support from a U.S. Forces Korea commander who recognized his talent. He attended the Juilliard School on a scholarship, earning bachelor's and master's degrees.

"Everybody wanted to help a boy playing Beethoven in war-torn Korea," Han said in a past interview.

Pianist Han Tong-il, right, and his father Han In-hwan / Korea Times file

In 1962, Han performed at the White House at the invitation of then-U.S. President John F. Kennedy, sharing the stage with renowned cellist Pablo Casals.

For some 37 years, Han continued his career as a pianist and an educator, teaching at institutions including Indiana University, Illinois State University, University of North Texas and Boston University.

In recognition of his contributions to enhancing Korea's reputation in the classical music scene, he was awarded the Moran Medal, Korea's second-highest Order of Civil Merit, in 1973.

After permanently returning to Seoul and regaining his Korean nationality in 2019, he served as a chair professor at the University of Ulsan and the Sunchon National University, dedicating his expertise to nurturing talent in his homeland.

Throughout his nearly seven-decade career, Han collaborated with many world-class orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and released a handful of albums featuring piano sonatas composed by Chopin, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms.

His funeral service will be held at Severance Hospital in Seoul's Seodaemun District from Wednesday through Friday.