Yunchan Lim

Yunchan Lim
임윤찬
Yunchan Lim concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Yunchan Lim concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Background information
Born (2004-03-20) March 20, 2004 (age 20)
Siheung, Gyeonggi, South Korea
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Musician
InstrumentsPiano
Years active2022–present
Websiteyunchanlimofficial.com
Korean name
Hangul
임윤찬
Hanja
Revised RomanizationIm Yunchan
McCune–ReischauerIm Yunch'an

Yunchan Lim (Korean: 임윤찬; born March 20, 2004) is a South Korean pianist. In 2022, he gained widespread recognition when he became the youngest person ever to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at age 18.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Early life and education[edit]

Lim was born in Siheung, South Korea. He started to take piano lessons when he was seven years old, and entered the Music Academy of Seoul Arts Center a year later.[7][8] He began to take the piano more seriously when he was nine years old.[8] At thirteen, he was accepted into the Korea National University of Arts, where he began to study with his current teacher, Minsoo Sohn.[9][10] In the fall of 2023, Lim transferred his studies with Sohn to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.[11]

Career[edit]

2018–2022: Early career[edit]

In 2018, Lim received both the Second Prize and Chopin Prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists, where he performed with the Cleveland Orchestra in the final round.[12][7] In the same year, he was the youngest participant in the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition at the Oberlin College and Conservatory, where he won the Third Prize and the Audience Prize.[13] In 2019, he became the youngest ever winner of the Isang Yun Competition at fifteen years old.[7]

In 2020, Lim was featured in the recording of the “2020 Young Musicians of Korea” album, which was organized by the Korean Broadcasting System and released in the same year.[7]

2022–present: Van Cliburn Competition victory and present career[edit]

In June 2022, Lim won the Gold Medal at the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, making him the youngest winner in the competition’s history. The prize came with $100,000 USD and career management for three years.[14] He also won two special prizes, the Audience Award and the Best Performance of a New Work.[7] His final round performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 is currently the most viewed video of the piece on YouTube. It peaked at #24 on YouTube’s global trending list and accumulated more than 10 million views in a span of eight months.[7]

Following his win at the Van Cliburn competition, Lim collaborated with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Music Makers and the KBS Symphony Orchestra.[8] In recitals, he has performed at Wigmore Hall, Victoria Concert Hall, Fondation Louis Vuitton, Seoul Arts Center, and the National Concert Hall in Taipei, among many others. He has also made appearances at the Aspen Music Festival, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, and the Ravinia Festival.[7][15]

In 2023, Lim was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list under the Arts category for Asia.[16] On July 7 of the same year, the Steinway & Sons label released an album of Lim’s live performance of Liszt’s Transcendental Études from the semi-final round of the Van Cliburn competition. The album debuted at number 5 on Billboard's Traditional Classical Albums chart.[17]

In August 2023, Crescendo, a feature documentary that follows the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition's proceedings and Lim’s emergence, premiered at the Jecheon International Music and Film Festival.[18]

In October 2023, Lim signed with Decca Classics on an exclusive recording contract. His first recording on the label is scheduled for release in Spring 2024.[19]

Discography[edit]

List of albums, with selected details and peak chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
KOR
[20]
2020 Young Musicians of Korea Vol. 3 —
Beethoven, Isang Yun, Barber (Live) —
Live from the Cliburn: Liszt – Transcendental Etudes
  • Released: July 7, 2023
  • Label: Steinway & Sons
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
 —
Chopin: Études, Opp. 10 & 25
  • Released: April 19, 2024
  • Label: Decca Music Group
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming
 16

Awards[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hernández, Javier C. (2022-06-19). "At Cliburn Competition, Pianists From South Korea, Russia and Ukraine Triumph". New York Times. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  2. ^ Yuk, William (2022-06-23). "South Korean piano prodigy Yunchan Lim becomes youngest ever to conquer prestigious Van Cliburn". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  3. ^ Cantrell, Scott; Diovanni, Tim (2022-06-18). "South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim, 18, wins the 2022 Van Cliburn International Competition". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  4. ^ "[Newsmaker] South Korean pianist Lim Yun-chan becomes the youngest winner of Van Cliburn Int'l Piano Competition". The Korea Herald. 2022-06-19. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  5. ^ "Pianist, 18, from South Korea wins Van Cliburn competition". Associated Press. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  6. ^ Zeeble, Bill (2022-06-21). "A South Korean musician wins the prestigious Van Cliburn piano". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Yunchan Lim, 임윤찬, 2022 Cliburn Gold Medalist". The Cliburn. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  8. ^ a b c MacMillan, Kyle (July 29, 2023). "Yunchan Lim turns his soft-spoken style into a sense of instant reverie | Chicago Symphony Orchestra". Experience the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  9. ^ Dong, Sun-hwa (2022-06-21). "Yunchan Lim becomes youngest pianist in Cliburn history to win gold". Korea Times. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  10. ^ Oron, Aryeh (2022-12-28). "Minsoo Sohn (Piano)". Bach Cantatas Website. Retrieved 2022-12-28.
  11. ^ Hernández, Javier C. (2023-05-09). "Yunchan Lim Electrifies Audiences. But He's Unimpressed". New York Times. Retrieved 2023-06-04.
  12. ^ "CIPC Announces 2018 Prizes in Young Artists Competition". Cleveland Classical. 2018-06-11. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  13. ^ Burnett, Erich (2018-07-18). "Three Pianists Advance to the Cooper Competition's Final Round". Oberlin College. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  14. ^ "18-year-old Yunchan Lim becomes youngest pianist to win 16th Van Cliburn competition". Business Today. 2022-07-20. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  15. ^ "Yunchan Lim: biography". Medici.tv.
  16. ^ "Yunchan Lim - Forbes". Forbes. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  17. ^ "10 First-Timers on Billboard's Charts This Week: Olivia Dean, Miles Miller, FendiDa Rappa & More". Billboard. 2023-07-19. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  18. ^ Owen, Garrett (2023-08-10). "CRESCENDO—2022 CLIBURN COMPETITION DOCUMENTARY— WORLD PREMIERE AUGUST 12 IN SOUTH KOREA". The Cliburn. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  19. ^ Savage, Mark (19 October 2023). "Yunchan Lim: 19-year-old piano sensation signs record deal". BBC News.
  20. ^ "Chopin: Études, Opp. 10 & 25". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  21. ^ "Circle Album Chart – Week 16, 2024". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 25, 2024.
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