The South Korean's debut album of Chopin Études is set for release via Decca Classics on 19 April
2022 Cliburn Gold Medalist Yunchan Lim, the youngest pianist to ever win the competition, has announced his debut studio album with Decca Classics.
Chopin Études is set for release on 19 April. The first track from the album, 'Tristesse' Op 10 No 3, has been released today.
With this release, Lim joins the esteemed ranks of legendary pianists who have tackled this repertoire before him, including his heroes such as Alfred Cortot, Ignaz Friedman, Joseph Lhevinne, Mark Hambourg, and Sergio Fiorentino among others.
It is, he says, entirely deliberate. “The pianists who have performed the Chopin Études are a vast universe to me. I have always dreamed of one day becoming a profound musician like them and wanted to follow in their footsteps. So it is truly an honour for me to record Chopin’s Études with Decca.”
©James Hole
The album cover, shot on film, pays homage to the golden age of pianists on Decca from the 1960s, featuring one of the original Decca LP logos.
Lim became the most sought-after pianist in the world when he became the youngest ever recipient of the Cliburn Gold Medal back in 2022. Since then, he has garnered a devoted global fanbase and sold out concert halls worldwide. The New York Times named his interpretation in the finals one of the top 10 classical performances of 2022, and The Economist stated, “Anyone needing a break from doomscrolling is advised to join the millions of listeners enthralled by Mr. Lim’s Rach 3.”
His 2024 schedule looks busier than ever, with his upcoming Carnegie Hall debut, the Southbank Centre on 27th March with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Wigmore Hall on 8th April, as well as performances with prestigious orchestras such as with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris alongside fellow Decca artist Klaus Mäkelä, Verbier Festival, Gstaad Festival, Società dei Concerti di Milano, and the Kennedy Center among other major stages.
