Composer-pianist Yiruma attends a press conference at Eugene ON music's EON Hall, Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of OWN MUSIC
Korean composer-pianist Yiruma is gearing up for his 2024 Yiruma World Tour, set to commence next month with the first performances taking place in Australia.
On Monday's press conference held to share Yiruma's sentiments about the upcoming tour, he surprised the audience with a piano rendition of his latest composition, "La Bianca Primavera." "It's a song inspired by winter scenes, capturing the anticipation of spring days that we all look forward to," he said.
Feeling a sense of "burden, excitement and expectation," the 45-year-old artist opened up about his nervousness, a sentiment rooted in his early days as a performer.
"I've always experienced nervousness before performances. When I was young, stage fright would sometimes lead me to blank out during concerts," he said. "I've never seen myself as a performer ... I just thought I was the one who could express my songs better than other pianists, and that has brought me here. I hope to showcase something to people as a composer."
Embarking from the Sydney Opera House performance on Dec. 3, the tour is set to span Asia, with stops in Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. The tour will also include New Zealand, France, the U.K. and Germany.
In just three weeks since ticket reservations started, the performances at Australia's Sydney Opera House and Brisbane, as well as in Hong Kong and Taipei, were completely sold out.
Composer-pianist Yiruma plays his new piece, "La Bianca Primavera," during a press conference at Eugene ON music's EON Hall, Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of OWN MUSIC
The composer's global appeal, with more than 80 percent of audiences at overseas performances being local, is attributed to the accessibility of his music. His repertoire resonates with diverse audiences with popular yet not overly complex compositions like his signature piece, "River Flows in You."
"Now, with the evolution of the internet, foreigners frequently listen to and cover my songs. I believe my representative songs are approachable, and the curiosity about how the composer of these songs performs live has grown as many amateurs have played and gained popularity," he explained.
Throughout the tour, Yiruma is set to showcase songs from his new album "Non e la fine" with additional cello. Widely-loved hits like "Kiss the Rain" will also be presented in new orchestral arrangements.
Describing his performance as a memory trip, Yiruma hopes the audience will revisit memories connected to his music during upcoming shows.
"I always express that, during my performances, the fulfillment of my music occurs by merging with the audience's memories. I hope my music serves as a soundtrack to people's lives, evoking moments and feelings whenever they encounter it elsewhere," he said.
"I aspire for my music to be omnipresent, just like the air we breathe. The idea of my music becoming the background track to someone else's life brings me sheer joy," he added.
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