Stephen Hough Praises Young Korean Pianist Im Yoon-chan as a Musician with His Own Voice
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
Renowned British pianist-composer Sir Stephen Hough praised Korean pianist Im Yoon-chan, whom he judged at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, calling him “a very fine musician with his own sound.” Hough recalled awarding Im a contemporary music prize for the best performance of his piece and advised young musicians not to fear mistakes, saying failures build resilience. Visiting Korea to present his new piano concerto The World of Yesterday (Asia premiere), Hough will perform with conductor Ham Shin-ik and the Symphony Song at Lotte Concert Hall on Nov. 22. He described the concerto as a nostalgic reflection on pre–World War I European culture and hopes performances leave a lasting emotional impression. An eight-time Gramophone Award winner, Hough also composes, writes, and paints; he praised Korea as a vital, youthful market with strong potential to become a global center for classical music education. (Van Cliburn: a major international piano competition)
