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Hyun Ji-woong, an alumnus of JNU's Faculty of Music with a major in orchestral music, achieved a brilliant feat by placing third in the artist category at the 40th Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival. Held in Twin Lake, Michigan, in August, his win marks him as the first Korean to receive a prize at this prestigious event.

Founded in 1986, the Falcone Festival is recognized as one of the most distinguished international competitions in the United States for Euphonium and Tuba. Each year, out of approximately 80 to 100 global applicants, only 10 are selected to advance to the semi-finals after a video qualification round. From these, only three earn a spot in the final round, performing with a wind band.

Hyun's award is anticipated to significantly elevate the status of Korean tuba music internationally, as past winners have gone on to join leading orchestras worldwide and become university professors.

After graduating with excellent grades from JNU (supervised by Professor Hur Dae-sik), Hyun earned a master's degree in tuba from the University of North Texas in the United States and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. there.

In his acceptance speech, Hyun Ji-woong expressed, "The Falcone Festival is a stage that all tuba and euphonium performers dream of." He added, "It is a great honor to be the first Korean to win a prize, and I aim to continue developing my craft in the future.“