ReviewLim Yun-chan shines at final duo piano recital with his teacher
Pianists Lim Yun-chan, second from left, and Sohn Min-soo, second from right, perform during a duo recital at Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Hyundai Card
“His power and energy to draw the audience into his performance is out of this world.”
That’s how one fan described Lim Yun-chan, the 21-year-old piano sensation, following his final duo recital with his teacher Sohn Min-soo at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday.
“I’m completely hooked,” said Seo Ji-eun, 60, a Seoul resident, standing outside the stage door after the performance.
“I went to see him on Saturday and Monday too. Today, I couldn’t get a ticket, so I watched from the lobby on the screen,” she added, referring to the duo's concerts in Incheon on Saturday and at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul on Monday. Monday and Tuesday's recitals were part of the Hyundai Card Culture Project.
At this rare four-hands concert, the two pianists played Brahms’ Sonata for Two Pianos in F Minor, Op. 34b, Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 and the Rosenkavalier Suite for Two Pianos by Richard Strauss.
Lim’s interpretation of these works — especially those originally written for other ensembles — impressed nearly 2,000 audience members filling the auditorium. His performance was marked by dazzling technique, a controlled sense of speed, clarity amid a stormy pace and striking harmony with his teacher.
“No matter how revered a teacher may be, in the end, we are two distinct beings, each carrying our own narratives of time, pain and joy,” Lim said in a recent interview before the recital. “It is when these different strands of music overlap and meet that truly living music is born."
The Rosenkavalier Suite held particular meaning: it was arranged for two pianos by Lim’s best friend Lee Hanurij. A student of Korea National University of Arts, Lee won the Bartok World Competition in Hungry last year with his composition "Vertingineux."
"I believe it takes destiny to become a musician. This is the case for Lee. I am honored to have the chance to perform his arrangement," Lim said. After the performance, Lee stood to a surprise ovation from the audience — a rare moment of recognition for a composer seated among them.
Pianist Lim Yun-chan, left, and Sohn Min-soo hold hands during a duo recital at Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Hyundai Card
It wasn’t only Lim’s musical prowess that captivated the crowd.
His signature bangs — short enough not to obscure his view but long enough to move with him — danced beautifully in the air as he performed. His physical expression, which fans often describe as part of his immersive style, included moments of near-lift-off from the piano stool.
“When I see this, it feels like I am peeking into the moment of him being possessed,” said Kim Eun-hee, another fan.
Lim shot to global fame after winning the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Since then, he has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic and others.
In 2023, his live recording of Liszt’s "Transcendental Etudes" was named one of The New York Times’ Best Classical Music Albums of the Year. Just last month, the paper’s critics chose his performance of Bach’s "Goldberg Variations" as part of its “Best Classical Music of 2025.”
Lim is currently studying at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston under Sohn’s guidance, following earlier training with him at the Korea National University of Arts. On stage, Sohn offered a grounded, tempered performance shaped by decades of experience and showed moments of deference, letting his student shine.
The pair will travel next to Switzerland to perform together once again at the Verbier Festival, a two-week international music event.