Yunchan Lim 임윤찬 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | (2004-03-20)March 20, 2004 (age 21) Siheung, South Korea |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Website | yunchanlimofficial |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 임윤찬 |
| Hanja | 任奫燦 [1] |
| RR | Im Yunchan |
| MR | Im Yunch'an |
Yunchan Lim (Korean: 임윤찬; born March 20, 2004) is aSouth Koreanpianist. In 2022, he gained widespread recognition when he became the youngest person ever to win theVan Cliburn International Piano Competition at 18 years old.[2][3][4][5][6][7] In 2023, he signed an exclusive contract withDecca. His first album on the label,Chopin:Études, won the Piano Award at the2024 Gramophone Classical Music Awards.[8]
Lim was born inSiheung,Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He started piano lessons at age seven and entered the Music Academy ofSeoul Arts Center a year later.[9][10] He began to take the piano more seriously at age nine and studied piano with Kay Kyung Eun Kim.[10] At 13, he entered Yewon School and graduatedsumma cum laude in February 2020.[citation needed] Additionally, he was accepted intoKorea National University of Arts, where he studied with pianist Minsoo Sohn.[11][12] After winning the 2022 Van Cliburn competition, Lim transferred to theNew England Conservatory of Music inBoston in September 2023, where his piano teacher Minsoo Sohn newly joined the faculty.[13]
In 2018, Lim received both the Second Prize and Chopin Prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists, where he performed with theCleveland Orchestra in the final round.[14][9] In the same year, he was the youngest participant in theThomas & Evon Cooper International Competition at theOberlin College and Conservatory, where he won the Third Prize and the Audience Prize.[15] In 2019, he became the youngest ever winner of theIsang Yun Competition at fifteen years old.[9]
In 2020, Lim was featured in the recording of the "2020 Young Musicians of Korea" album, which was organized by theKorean Broadcasting System and released in the same year.[9]
In June 2022, Lim won the Gold Medal at the16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition inFort Worth, Texas, making him the youngest winner in the competition's history. The prize came with $100,000USD and career management for three years.[16] He also won two special prizes, the Audience Award and the Best Performance of a New Work.[9] His final round performance ofRachmaninoff'sPiano Concerto No. 3 is currently the most viewed video of the piece onYouTube. It peaked at #24 on YouTube's global trending list and accumulated more than 10 million views in a span of eight months.[9]
Following his win at the Van Cliburn competition, Lim very soon collaborated with orchestras such as theNew York Philharmonic,Chicago Symphony Orchestra,London Symphony Orchestra,Los Angeles Philharmonic,Cleveland Orchestra,Boston Symphony Orchestra,Orchestre de Paris,Munich Philharmonic,Lucerne Symphony Orchestra,Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra,Orchestra of the Music Makers and theKBS Symphony Orchestra.[10] He participated withSir Antonio Pappano at the 2024Verbier Festival performing the BeethovenEmperor Concerto with the international youth orchestra. He later performed the Emperor Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic withGustavo Dudamel conducting and also with theCleveland Orchestra.
Lim has performed atCarnegie Hall, theHollywood Bowl,Royal Albert Hall,Wigmore Hall,Victoria Concert Hall,Fondation Louis Vuitton, theSeoul Arts Center, and theNational Concert Hall inTaipei, among many other venues. He has also made appearances at theAspen Music Festival, theBravo! Vail Music Festival, theRavinia Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, andVerbier Festival.[9][17][citation needed]
In 2023, Lim was included in theForbes 30 Under 30 list under the Arts category for Asia.[18] On July 7 of the same year, theSteinway & Sons label released an album of Lim's live performance ofLiszt'sTranscendental Études from the semi-final round of the Van Cliburn competition. The album debuted at number 5 onBillboard'sTraditional Classical Albums chart.[19]
In August 2023,Crescendo, a feature documentary that follows the16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition's proceedings and Lim's emergence, premiered at theJecheon International Music and Film Festival.[20]
In October 2023, Lim signed withDecca Classics on an exclusive recording contract. His first recording on the label was released on April 19, 2024.[21]
In May 2025, Decca Classics released Lim's live performance of Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto from the 2022 Van Cliburn Competition, with theFort Worth Symphony Orchestra conducted byMarin Alsop.[22]
On 29 August 2025, Lim performed thePiano Concerto No. 3 byBéla Bartók with the orchestra of the Teatro Petruzzelli inBari, Italy conducted by Martijn Dendievel.[23]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR [24] | |||
| 2020 Young Musicians of Korea Vol. 3 |
| — | |
| Beethoven, Isang Yun, Barber (Live) |
| — | |
| Live from the Cliburn – Liszt: Transcendental Etudes |
| — | |
| Chopin: Études, Opp. 10 & 25 |
| 16 |
|
| Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 (Live from the 2022 Cliburn Competition) |
| 29 |
|
| Tchaikovsky The Seasons, Op.37a |
| 35 |
|
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