Miffed Korean pianist refuses prize

   Korea Herald
   June 11, 2003
   By Warren Lee

   A young Korean pianist competing at a prestigious international
   music competition cried foul yesterday and gave up his third-place
   award in protest.

   Lim Dong-hyek, 18, rejected the jury decision at the Queen
   Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels because he felt his
   performances throughout the month-long competition were demonstrably
   better than those given by the second-place winner, Shen Wen-Yu,
   16, from China.  Severin von Eckardstein, 25, from Germany, won
   first prize.

   A local daily quoted Lim as saying he and von Eckardstein were
   the clear front-runners in the competition after early round
   performances.  While he recognizes the legitamacy of von
   Eckardstein's win, Lim thought that Shen's performance left
   something to be desired, a sentiment echoed by audiences and
   local music critics covering the event.

   While judging in music competitions is by nature subjective, Lim
   more than hinted that there were conflicts of interest involving
   a member of the jury. Shen is currently a student of Karl Heinz
   Kammerling, who sits on this year's panel of judges. Kammerling
   is also the former teacher of von Eckardstein.

   In relinquishing third-place, Lim will also be giving up the
   cash award of 15,000 euro.

   The Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, named in honor of the
   music loving Belgian queen, was started in 1951. Held annually
   for young musicians of distinction, the competition rotates among
   four categories in piano, violin, composition, and voice.

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