{{Short description|South Korean pianist (1941–2024)}} {{more citations needed|date=April 2009}} {{family name hatnote|Han||lang=Korean}} {{Infobox person | birth_date = {{birth date text|1941}} | birth_place = Hamhung, Korea, Empire of Japan | death_date = {{death date and given age|2024|12|29|83}} | death_place = | image = Han Tong-il 1962.jpg | caption = Han performs at the White House, 1962 | occupation = Pianist | module = {{Infobox Korean name/auto|child=yes | hangul = %한동일 | hanja = 韓東一 | hanjaref = <ref name="JI20040514">{{citation|url=http://article.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=336579|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126203237/http://article.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=336579|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 26, 2013|periodical=JoongAng Ilbo|title=渡美 50주년 기념 음악회 연다 {{bracket|Concert to commemorate 50th anniversary of going to the US}}|date=2004-05-14|accessdate=2011-09-24|author=이장직 [Yi Jang-jik]}}</ref> }} }}
'''Han Tong-il''' ({{Korean|hangul=한동일}}; December 4, 1941 – December 29, 2024) was a South Korean pianist.<ref name="SBS">{{citation|script-title=ko:'내 인생의 3악장은 조국에서' {{bracket|'The three "movements" of my life were in my homeland'}}|author=김소현 [Kim So-hyun]|periodical=Seoul Broadcasting System Magazine|date=April 2005|pages=52–53|url=http://eventvod2.sbs.co.kr/sbspdf/magazine/2005/2005_04.pdf|access-date=2011-09-24|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319230050/http://eventvod2.sbs.co.kr/sbspdf/magazine/2005/2005_04.pdf|archive-date=2012-03-19}}</ref>
==Background== Han was born in Kankō (now Hamhung, North Korea), Korea, Empire of Japan. He began learning the piano and musical composition from his father at the age of 4. He fled south during the Korean War, ending up in Seoul.<ref name="SBS"/> He was a guest on the classic American game show, ''I've Got a Secret'', hosted by Steve Allen. Han's secret was that, as a young child, he was discovered by Staff Sergeant JJ "Mike" Egan during the Korean War, and General Samuel E. Anderson arranged a tour at the US bases in Japan where they raised money for the young child.
Han died on December 29, 2024, at the age of 83.<ref>[https://www.segye.com/newsView/20241230513679 한국인 첫 국제콩쿠르 우승… 피아니스트 한동일씨 별세] {{in lang|ko}}</ref>
==Musical career== Han left South Korea on June 1, 1954.<ref name="JI20040514"/> He went to the US with General Anderson to attend Juilliard, where his teachers included Rosina Lhévinne. In 1965, at 23, he won the prestigious Leventritt Competition.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/10/27/archives/korean-pianist-23-is-winner-of-24th-leventritt-competition-tong-il.html|periodical=The New York Times|title=Korean Pianist, 23, Is Winner Of 24th Leventritt Competition|date=1965-10-27|accessdate=2011-09-24}}</ref>
Han had performed with many of the finest orchestras around the world, among them the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Scottish National Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Monte Carlo Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Polish Radio National Orchestra, Budapest Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Russian National Symphony, among many others. The conductors with whom he had collaborated include Bernard Haitink, Herbert Blomstedt, Edo de Waart, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Charles Dutoit, Lukas Foss, Eugen Jochum, Raymond Leppard, Robert Shaw, Stanisław Skrowaczewski, and David Zinman.
Since his return to South Korea, Han had performed throughout his homeland as a soloist performing with numerous orchestras, among them KBS Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and Daegu Philaharmonic Orchestra. As a distinguished chamber musician, Han participated in the Seoul Spring Festival, as well as collaborated with highly accomplished young musicians.{{Citation needed|date=February 2026}}
Han's several recordings include Chopin's Twenty-Four Preludes, Four Ballades and Four Scherzos, eight Sonatas by Beethoven (including the last five), Sonatas by Schubert and Brahms, and a group of shorter piano works under the title "Music I Love To Play". He also has recorded Sonatas for Cello and Piano by Brahms, and Schumann's Fantasy Pieces with cellist Leslie Parnas. The CD titled "The Kennedy White House Concert" (the live concert given at the White House) has been released. In this concert recording Han performed Debussy's "Reflet dans l'eau" and electrifying performance of the Liszt's "Mephisto Waltz". His latest CD released in June 2004 was recorded in Rome. This includes major works by Schumann, Beethoven, and Brahms.
==Academic career== Han went on to teach in the music departments of Indiana University, Illinois State University, University of North Texas and Boston University. He returned to Korea in 2005, where he served first as dean of the college of music and then as chair professor of music at University of Ulsan. He has also served as guest professor at Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima, Japan. In March 2007 he began teaching at Suncheon University, Suncheon, Korea.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|11321651}} * {{discogs artist|Tong-il Han}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Han, Tong-il}} Category:1941 births Category:2024 deaths Category:Boston University faculty Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:People from Hamhung Category:Indiana University faculty Category:Illinois State University faculty Category:University of North Texas faculty Category:South Korean educators Category:South Korean musicians Category:South Korean emigrants to the United States Category:21st-century South Korean pianists Category:South Korean people of North Korean origin