Learn More about Yunchan Lim: cliburn.org/yunchan-lim/
Learn More about The Cliburn: cliburn.org/
Quarterfinal Round Recital
June 6, 2022
Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU
YUNCHAN LIM
2022 Cliburn Gold Medalist
South Korea I Age 18
BEETHOVEN - Variations and Fugue in E flat Major, op. 35 (“Eroica”)
In June 2022, Yunchan Lim became the youngest person ever to win gold at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; his performances throughout showcased a “magical ability” and a “natural, instinctive quality” (La Scena) that astounded listeners around the world. The depth of his artistry and connection to listeners also secured him the Audience Award and Best Performance of a New Work (for Sir Stephen Hough’s Fanfare Toccata).
Just 18 years old, Yunchan’s ascent to international stardom has been meteoric. His final Cliburn Competition appearance with Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 delivered the defining moment of the three-week event; as one critic noted: “The applause that followed was endless: a star had emerged before our eyes” (Seen and Heard International). The video of that performance trended globally on KZfaq in the days after, reaching #25, and has now become the most-watched version of that piece on the platform, amassing more than 5.5 million views in just one month.
Yunchan has performed across his native South Korea-including with the Korean Orchestra Festival, Korea Symphony, Suwon Philharmonic, and Busan Philharmonic Orchestras, among others-as well as in Madrid, at the invitation of the Korea Cultural Center in Spain. His 2022-2023 inaugural tour as Cliburn winner takes him across four continents, with highlights including the Aspen Music Festival, La Jolla Music Society, and Performing Arts Houston in the United States; Seoul Arts Center, National Concert Hall in Taipei, and the KBS and Korean National Symphony Orchestras in Asia; and recital tours in Europe and South America.