Biography

Waynne WooSeok Kwon currently studies under Hannah Roberts at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, generously supported by the Haworth Trust and the John Hosier & Biddy Baxter Scholarship. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music (First Class Honors) and is pursuing a Masters of Music. Whilst being at the RNCM, Waynne has had masterclasses with Miklos Perenyi, Leonard Elschenbroich, Ralph Kirshbaum, Rebecca Gilliver (Principal Cello of LSO), Frans Helmerson, Karine Georgian, David Geringas and Alban Gerhardt.

During his time in the UK, Waynne has been able to find success in numerous competitions and scholarships.  He was awarded the 2015 Raphael Sommer Scholarship in London and also won the 2016 Sir John Barbirolli cello prize at the RNCM. He was also successful in being chosen to be part of the Professional Engagements Scheme with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Waynne also received the Finalist Prize at the Bromsgrove International Music Competition and was also a winner of the 2017 Concerto Competition at the RNCM. Consequently, he performed as soloist with the RNCM Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, Waynne was awarded the Muriel Taylor Cello Scholarship from the London Festival Orchestra and won the 2018 RNCM Gold Medal Competition, the college’s most prestigious award. He was also the recipient of the Leonard Rose award for the highest final recital mark as an undergraduate cello student. Waynne was also awarded the ‘Highly Commended’ award at the Australian Young Performer’s Award 2018. In April 2019, he attended the International Musician’s Seminar held at Prussia Cove to have masterclasses with Ralph Kirshbaum, supported by the UK Friends of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Foundation and was also chosen to perform at the closing concert. Recently, Waynne was fortunate enough to become a 2019 Drake Calleja Trust Scholar and is also supported by the Countess of Munster Music Trust.

Waynne was awarded the 2014 BBM Travel Scholarship, allowing him to travel to the UK to audition for numerous institutions and partake in private lessons with leading cello teachers. He has had lessons with Lazlo Fenyo, Peter Bruns, Jo Cole, Mats Lidstrom, Natalie Clein, Josephine Knight and Heinrich Schiff and Claudius Popp.

During his career, Waynne has performed around the world in notable venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Angel Place City Recital Hall, Seoul Arts Centre, Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Verbrugghen Hall and St.John Smith’s Square as both soloist and chamber musician and has been performed live on 4MBS, ABC Classic FM and BBC Radio 3. He has performed as soloist with the Blackburn Symphony, Penrith Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, the Concertante Ensemble and the RNCM Symphony Orchestra.

Waynne is a keen chamber musician and has won numerous chamber music competitions and awards with previous ensembles, such as the RNCM Hirsh Prize, Nossek Prize, Weil Prize, the Chris Rowland Prize for RNCM Ensemble of the Year 2017 and 2018, the Gwyneth George Award from the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe’s Chamber Music Competition, and the Manchester Mid-day Concert Series 2017-2018.

He has had chamber coachings and masterclasses with Petr Prause (Talich Quartet), Qian Wu (Sitkovetky Piano Trio), Frans Helmerson, Hannah Roberts, Jeremy Young, Hatto Beyerele, Peter Frankl, Kathryn Stott, Donald Grant, Leonard Elschenbroich and Gabor Takacs-Nagy.

Waynne is extremely thankful for the support from the Tait Memorial Trust (Higgins Family Scholar), the Australian Music Foundation and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust.

Waynne currently performs on a cello made by Francesco Ruggieri in 1694, generously on loan from the RNCM.

Musicians’ Company Award: The John Hosier and Biddy Baxter Trust Scholarship 2019

Page Updated: Nov 2019