Jungwha & Edward Auer, Piano Recital
NEW DATE Sunday, April 27th 6pm @ Hammond Hall, Winter Harbor, ME
The internationally renowned husband and wife piano duo, of Junghwa Moon Auer and Edward Auer, will perform a program of music for piano 4 hands with solo works kicking off the 2025 Winter Harbor Music First Friday series. Their concert will include The Dolly Suite, Op.56 for piano duo, by Gabriel Fauré. Junghwa Moon Auer will perform Chopin’s Bb Minor Sonata, Op.35 and Edward Auer will play the monumental Sonata in A Major, D, 959 by Franz Schubert.
Junghwa Moon Auer, a native of Korea, began her piano studies at the age of six, quickly advancing through the country's most prestigious music institutions, including Yewon Middle School and Seoul Music and Art High School. After earning her degree at Yonsei University, she moved to the U.S. to further refine her artistry, completing her MM at the renowned New England Conservatory. Her early passion for festivals shaped her career, as she performed and attended internationally acclaimed festivals such as Aspen, Chautauqua, Luzern, and Prague.
Her creative energy blossomed during her doctoral studies at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, where she performed Schumann’s Concerto in A minor and a live performance with radio broadcast with WGUC and her performance was recognized for her imaginative interpretations. She gained international acclaim when she returned to Korea, performing not only in Seoul but with orchestras across the globe.
As a festival organizer, Junghwa Moon Auer’s creativity reached new heights when she assumed leadership of the Edward Auer Chopin Class at Indiana University in Bloomington. Under her direction, the once small workshop grew into a prestigious international festival, drawing participants and attention from across the world. She introduced several innovative changes, including competitions, outreach concerts, and live streaming, modernizing the workshop’s reach. Additionally, she introduced chamber music and organized performances of all five Beethoven piano concertos, further showcasing her artistic and organizational prowess.
Her vision as a festival organizer gained further prominence with the launch of the Auer International Piano Academy in Seoul, in collaboration with her husband, Edward Auer. This academy bridges Western music education with Asian students, creating a new avenue for artistic exchange. The inaugural AIPAS was a success, and the second edition is scheduled for August 2025 at Korea National University of Arts. The Auer Foundation continues to support the selected Auer Young Artists, solidifying the academy’s role in fostering emerging talent.
In addition to her work as a festival creator, Junghwa Moon Auer remains an accomplished pianist, performing with her husband as a duo across the U.S., Korea, Canada, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. Since 2017, she has been on the artist faculty at Roosevelt University, sharing her passion and innovative approach with the next generation of pianists.
Edward Auer, an internationally acclaimed pianist, is celebrated for his profound artistry and expansive career that has spanned decades. Born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, Auer’s musical foundation was shaped by his early studies with Aube Tzerko, a disciple of the legendary Artur Schnabel. His education continued at the Juilliard School under Rosina Lhevinne and later in Paris with the renowned pianist Julius Katchen, following a prestigious Fulbright Grant.
Though widely recognized for his mastery of Chopin, particularly through his lauded recordings of the composer's works, Auer’s repertoire spans a vast array of composers, from Beethoven and Schubert to Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky. His interpretations reveal both technical brilliance and deep emotional insight.
Auer’s career was notably marked by his success at several of the world’s most prestigious piano competitions. In 1965, he became the first American to win a prize at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, an achievement that cemented his reputation as a leading interpreter of Chopin’s music. This was followed by successes in other major competitions, including the Beethoven Competition in Vienna, Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, and the Marguerite Long Competition in Paris.
Auer’s performance career has taken him to over 30 countries across five continents, where he has played with prominent orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Berlin Radio Orchestra, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Paris. His numerous tours have brought him back to Poland over 20 times, performing with every major orchestra and solidifying his connection to Chopin’s homeland.
In addition to his performance career, Auer has dedicated much of his life to teaching, serving as a professor of piano at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music for more than 40 years. His commitment to Chopin is further evidenced by his ongoing project to record a comprehensive series of Chopin’s works, which has been met with critical acclaim.
Beyond his roles as a performer and educator, Auer continues to influence the global classical music scene through his participation as a juror in prestigious competitions such as the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, the Long-Thibaud Competition, and others. His legacy as both a performer and mentor continues to shape the next generation of pianists worldwide.
