<em>A series of conversations with the Cliburn competitors</em></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Yeol Eum Son</span></strong></p><p>(pronounced yahd&rsquo;m sohn)</p><p><strong>Nationality: </strong>Korean</p><p><strong>Born: </strong>Wonju, Republic of Korea</p><p><strong>Lives: </strong>Hannover, Germany </p><p><strong>Age: </strong>23</p><p><strong>What? Rejected?: </strong>Son says she was actually <em>rejected </em>from piano lessons the first time she tried to take them as a toddler. "There are lots of private piano schools for kids in Korea, and when my mom tried to let me get in there for the first time, the teacher kindly suggested that we come next year," she says. "Well, actually it now seems to me a normal behavior since I was only 2 1/2 years old ... although I was not that little both physically and mentally compared with the other kids. But I was frustrated enough. After (exactly) a year later, we came there again and she finally took me."</p><p><strong>What she loves to play: </strong>Son says it&rsquo;s hard to pin down one "favorite" composer. "German music is so delightful, French music is full of interesting things, and Russian music brings me so many thrills on a stage," she says.</p><p><strong>When she&rsquo;s not playing the piano: </strong>"I love listening to music even more than me playing music," Son says. "I especially love violin. There are so many great violinists whom I enjoy listening to &mdash; sometimes too much."</p><p><strong>Historic performance: </strong>Son got to play with the New York Philharmonic on their historic tour of Korea in 2004, and again in Seoul in 2008. "Although I didn&rsquo;t follow them to North Korea, we all watched their concert live on TV, and I think it was indescribable altogether," she says.<strong>Hoop dreams: </strong>Son is a HUGE basketball fan. She said she would absolutely love to get to see a Dallas Mavericks game if they were playing in town when she&rsquo;s here for the Cliburn. "But on the other hand I would feel too sorry for my brother if I go there first without him; he had a dream as a teenage boy to watch the San Antonio Spurs in their stadium," she says. "He used to check it every day on a Google Earth to make sure it was still safely there! Ha, my family is crazy about the basketball games!"</p><p>&ndash; Stephanie Allmon </p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition May 22-June 7</p><p>Bass Hall</p><p><a href="http://www.cliburn.org">www.cliburn.org</a></p><p></div>