Latest news with #YunchanLim
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No 3 album review – hear the performance that made Yunchan Lim a star
As soon as the 2022 Van Cliburn piano competition in Fort Worth, Texas, was over, news travelled across the Atlantic that the latest winner was very special indeed. Over the following year or so, Yunchan Lim's recitals in Europe and a first disc for Decca (of the Chopin Études), together with recordings that documented his performances in the competition, of Liszt's Transcendental Études in his semi-final recital, and Rachmaninov's Third Concerto in the final, confirmed that the reports had been no exaggeration: he is the real thing, a once-in-a-generation talent. Now Decca has reissued the Fort Worth concerto performance, but with the sound significantly cleaned up and rebalanced, and the wonder of Lim's playing if anything enhanced. What is immediately striking is the sheer confidence and poise of everything he does, and the overriding sense that there is never any doubt about the direction in which this majestic concerto should be taken; it's hard to believe that this is the performance of an 18-year-old. Needless to say, every technical challenge in the keyboard writing seems to be effortlessly negotiated, yet the brilliance is never an end in itself; it is always part of a bigger picture, without ever diminishing the thrill of such astonishing command, so that the way the unadorned melodic lines of the slow movement are phrased becomes just as telling as the way in which the densest flurries of notes are negotiated. Just perhaps in the finale, when Lim can seem too headstrong for his own good, does his performance betray his age; otherwise it deserves a place alongside the finest versions of this concerto on disc, from those by Rachmaninov himself and Vladimir Horowitz to Martha Argerich and Vladimir Ashkenazy. Despite Decca's remastering, though, the sound is by no means perfect; some orchestral detail remains too distant, and the string sound is sometimes scrawny and undernourished. Normally such shortcomings might preclude a five-star recommendation, but Lim's playing is so astonishing it's almost irrelevant. This article includes content hosted on We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as the provider may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Listen on Apple Music (above) or Spotify
Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
RPO/Petrenko review — Yunchan Lim outshone by Strauss
'Thank you for joining the journey,' said the note from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in my inbox the morning after. Unlike dozens at the Royal Albert Hall, I had actually finished the journey too. Many fans of South Korea's global piano star Yunchan Lim clearly decided they were too overcome by their idol's first-half performance to strap on their crampons and join Strauss's Alpine Symphony . It was a night that felt like two concerts hoicked together. Two mountains — we had Mussorgsky's Night on the Bare Mountain as well as Strauss's Alp — flanked a performance by a 21-year-old already at the summit of the classical music world. Despite his fame, the refreshing thing about Lim — and this seems to be baked into
Boston Globe
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Boston Lyric Opera, Celebrity Series of Boston announce 2025-26 seasons
The remaining three productions are a one-night only performance of 'Ride of the Valkyries!,' an original operatic entertainment starring Christine Goerke and Morris Robinson (Nov. 12); an already-announced concert performance of 'Vanessa' in collaboration with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Jan. 8 and 10), and an installation of Gustav Mahler's 'Das Lied von der Erde' directed by Anne Bogart and starring Raehann Bryce-Davis and Brandon Jovanovich (March 20-29). The latter will be the first major event BLO will host in its newly renovated Opera + Community Studios in Fort Point. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Though 'Das Lied von der Erde' is a symphonic work with vocal soloists, not an opera, Vernatter said it would be 'fully staged as a dramatic work with a narrative,' on a similar scale to previous BLO productions in nontraditional venues such as 2023's 'Bluebeard's Castle/Four Last Songs' at Flynn Cruiseport. Bryce-Davis will also present a solo recital in the Fort Point venue, on March 24. Subscriptions are available now; single tickets will be available for purchase at a later date. Advertisement Yunchan Lim. James Hole Celebrity Series's upcoming season features dozens of performances across classical, jazz, and dance. Artistic director Nicole Taney said she found it hard to choose which event she was most excited to have on the bill. 'They're all my favorite children,' she said, but shouted out performances by pianist Yunchan Lim (Oct. 22), accordionist Théo Ould (Dec. 2), the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Iván Fischer and members of the Boston Lyric Opera Chorus, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with music director designate Klaus Mäkelä. Further highlights of the subscription season before New Year 2026 include a recital by mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges at Groton Hill Music Center (Oct. 9), a return performance by adventurous Nordic roots trio Dreamers' Circus (Oct. 26), a debut series performance by acclaimed young violinist (and current New England Conservatory student) Amaryn Olmeda (Nov. 17), and an evening uniting Third Coast Percussion with choreography by street dance specialists Lil Buck and Jon Boogz (Nov. 22 and 23). This year for the first time, Celebrity Series's free Neighborhood Arts performance series is also included in the season brochure. Taney said she had intended to bring the series, which largely features artists with ties to the Boston area, 'under the same umbrella' as the subscription series. 'It really does showcase all of what we do,' said Taney of the Neighborhood Arts series. The first half of the season includes performances by Grammy-winning jazz trombonist Kalia Vandever with harpist Charles Overton (Sept. 20), violinist Adrian Anantawan (Sept. 27), global music ensemble Biribá Union (Oct. 19 and Oct. 25), Afro-Haitian dance company Jean Appolon Expressions (Nov. 15) and pianist Kevin Harris, who will perform a new suite inspired by the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci (Dec. 6). Advertisement Jean Appolon Expressions. Mika Pasco Subscriptions will be available to the public on May 22, with single tickets for fall performances available Aug. 7. Both organizations typically receive some project-based funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, but they don't expect that will continue in the near future given President Trump's recent cuts to the agency and the termination of grants. Celebrity Series executive director Gary Dunning clarified that the organization received its 2024-25 grant money shortly after New Year 2025, but 'we have not received any notification — which we normally would have — for next year's grant, which we fully expect will never happen.' BLO received an email from the agency on Friday, May 2 informing it that its award had been terminated, effective May 31. Federal grant money was not a critical chunk in the operating budgets for either organization, but BLO general director Bradley Vernatter said he was concerned about the arts sphere as a whole. 'The entire situation is having a profound impact on the arts community, and creating pressures' on both artists and individual philanthropists, he said. 'It has a ripple effect through the entire ecosystem.' BOSTON LYRIC OPERA Advertisement 617-542-6772, CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON 617-482-2595, A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
Gulf Today
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Abu Dhabi fest to highlight 50 years of UAE-Japan ties
In a remarkable celebration of art and culture, and in alignment with the UAE's 'Year of Community,' Abu Dhabi Festival's 22nd edition highlights over 50 years of diplomatic ties between the UAE and its country of honour, Japan. Running from April 9-29, the festival resumes its headline programmes with an exceptional lineup of global musical talent, featuring legendary percussionists, award-winning pianists, world-renowned orchestras and a spectacular all-star ballet gala, with performances taking place throughout April at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). This year's Festival features several Arab World premieres, presenting a celebration of artistry and cultural exchange with a diverse programme for everyone. Kodō, a renowned Japanese taiko drumming ensemble with over 7,000 performances in more than 50 countries, will bring their powerful and dynamic performance to this year's festival stage in an exclusive Arab World Premiere on April 8-9, 2025, at 7:30pm at The Red Theater, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi. The ensemble's mastery of the taiko — a traditional Japanese drum — allows them to explore limitless rhythmic possibilities, continuously pushing the boundaries of this vibrant, living art. Virtuoso pianist Yunchan Lim – a bright star in the world of classical music – is set to take to the Festival stage at NYUAD's Red Theater, playing the gold standard of works, Bach's Goldberg Variations in an Arab World Premiere on April 11, 2025, at 7:30pm. Kuniko Kato, recognised as one of the world's foremost percussion virtuosos, will bring her masterful artistry to Abu Dhabi at The Blue Hall, New York University Abu Dhabi on April 14, 2025, at 7:30pm . The exquisite sibling piano duo Katia and Marielle Labèque will perform an original and innovative musical programme at NYUAD's Red Theater on April 16 at 7:30pm. The Korean National University of Arts Symphony Orchestra (KNUA) are set to make their Arab World Premiere at Abu Dhabi Festival, under the baton of Professor Chung Chi-Yong, one of Korea's most celebrated conductors. KNUA Symphony Orchestra will then return for a second show on April 20, but this time will be joined by star soprano and tenor Jessica Pratt and Javier Camarena, led by the masterful Italian Lebanese conductor Toufic Maatouk. For this unforgettable evening, KNUA Symphony Orchestra will be joined by award-winning violinist Jaewon Wee and the outstanding cellist Sang Hyeok Park, promising a performance of remarkable artistry and virtuosity. The performances will be at the Red Theater at 7:30pm. On April 21, and for the first time in the Arab World, Grammy Award winning violinist Augustin Hadelich will be gracing the Blue Hall at NYUAD at 7:30pm for a masterful performance with works by Bach, Coleridge-Taylor, Ysaÿe and David Lang. Abu Dhabi Festival will present the All-Star Ballet Gala, a spectacular performance at NYUAD's Red Theater at 7:30pm, featuring world-class dancers from the Royal Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Paris Opera Ballet, and Stuttgart Ballet. In a special performance titled, 'Unique Encounters with Rising Stars,' Vienna Philharmonic concertmaster Yamen Saadi returns to the Festival stage alongside violist Sara Ferrández and cellists Kian Soltani and Pablo Ferrández. They will perform at the Red Theater on April 26, 2025 at 7:30pm. The 22nd edition of Abu Dhabi Festival closes with a special tribute to the late musical legend, Quincy Jones, performed by talented trumpeter, Riley Mulherkar, alongside his band, brass quartet The Westerlies. They will perform at The Black Box, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi at 7:30pm. Described as 'über hip, modern yet timeless,' Mulherkar's performance will honour the legacy of Quincy Jones, a close friend of the Festival and recipient of the prestigious ADF Award in 2014. As a record producer and composer, Quincy Jones shaped the sound of popular music across multiple genres for more than seven decades.
