Album Introduction

The 16th Van Cliburn Competition, where 'Yoonchan Lim,' a 'prodigy,' turns into a 'hero'!

Track: Live from the Cliburn - Liszt's Transcendental Études

The 2022 Van Cliburn Competition in the United States saw Yoonchan Lim (b.2004) participate as a 'prodigy,' eventually evolving into a 'hero' in music history. Even after the competition, the historical moments continue to garner attention, having been preserved in the records. This album features a live recording of Liszt's Transcendental Études S139, performed at the semi-finals stage of the competition (June 10, 2022 / TEXAS Fort Worth Bass Performance Hall). The image of this 18-year-old boy is not that of a contestant in the competition, but of a pianist into whom Liszt's spirit has descended, making him a consummate pianist. This album has become a 'monument' left by a teenager in piano history, perfectly reinterpreted and revived. The perceptive insight that pierces the drama contained in each of the 12 pieces, the intense power and delicate intricacy of the keystrokes, the flawless tempo control, and the expressiveness of the piano's heat all continue to create moving moments even after the record has stopped playing. This album is a testament to Yoonchan Lim's radiant performances and his brilliant beginnings.

After Yoonchan Lim's victory in the 2022 Van Cliburn Competition, none of the uploaded performance videos on YouTube have a dull moment. Especially, the entire process of the competition was a time and sequence in which the young 'genius' rose as a 'hero' in classical music history. Even after the end of the competition, Lim's performance videos did not lose their popularity. Lim's syndrome, to an unprecedented extent, continues online and in performances.

The semi-finals, held just before the finals, have also become a daily topic. On June 10, 2022, at the semi-final stage of the Van Cliburn Competition held at the TEXAS Fort Worth Bass Performance Hall, the 18-year-old Yoonchan Lim, who performed Liszt's Transcendental Études S139, looked more like a pianist who had the spirit of Liszt descend on him, rather than just a contestant awaiting the competition's final round. Yoonchan Lim's semi-final performance was a mesmerizing moment, a time when all spectators declared, "Yoonchan Lim is the winner of this competition!"

"The piano, which at first glance looks like a black box, is an infinite instrument. With the piano, you can explore the universe, hear the groans of the earth, and listen to the letters of love that an elderly man reads out from his youth. It becomes the song that nature sings. You can also feel a profound sense of loneliness. All human life and the greatness of nature are contained in the piano. And I am grateful to be an entity that can feel all these things through the piano." (From an interview with Yoonchan Lim in the 'Audience' Monthly, May 2023 issue)

This album serves as both a 'process record' of Yoonchan Lim's challenge at the competition, and a 'monument' left by a teenage prodigy in classical music history. If you have seen Yoonchan Lim's 'figure' in the competition's live video, the high-quality recorded album allows you to sense the 'breath' and 'resonance' of his performance, unseen in the video. It is an album encapsulating the bright 'beginning' of Yoonchan Lim.

• An opportunity to own a live recording album of Yoonchan Lim's glorious moments!
• Yoonchan Lim breathes 'life' into Liszt, and we listen with bated breath
• Meet Liszt's 'Transcendental Technique' and Yoonchan Lim's 'Absolute Technique'
• The moment a teenage 'prodigy' becomes a 'hero' in music history!