La Repubblica's Interview with Yunchan Lim: 임윤찬 인터뷰: 천사 같은 아름다움을 지닌 21세 피아니스트의 고통

Suffering of Young Pianist with Angelic Beauty
La Repubblica's Interview with Yunchan Lim
임윤찬 인터뷰: 천사 같은 아름다움을 지닌 21세 피아니스트의 고통



(인터뷰 대담 전문)
Leonetta Bentivoglio's Interview with Yunchan Lim

Yunchan Lim, how did you discover your stellar musical path?
"Ever since I was little, I’ve created so much music in my heart, and over time, it has ignited a lava within me that is now beginning to erupt through my work.“

At what age did you start playing?
"I started taking piano lessons at the age of seven. Later, during my teenage years, meeting my teacher Minsoo Sohn at the Korean National Institute for the Gifted in Arts was a decisive moment in my journey.“

The video of the concert with which he won the Van Cliburn has garnered 17 million views. Yet he confessed to being dissatisfied with that performance.
"It was not the best by my standards. I was helped, as much as possible, by conductor Marin Alsop (who was moved to tears at the end of the concert) and the Fort Worth Symphony. I love Rachmaninoff infinitely, and every day I try to learn something from everything related to him artistically.“

What do you reply to those who consider Rachmaninoff too sentimental?
"Go home, wash your feet and go to sleep. And never listen to music again.“

He currently lives in Boston and studies at the Conservatory in the same city with his teacher Minsoo Sohn. Does he miss Korea?
"No. My last period of study in my home country was excruciatingly painful. I felt like I was in hell and wanted to die. Now I only go back for concerts.“

"Korea is small and crowded, so the competition is fierce. Everyone is eager to excel and sometimes harms others because of it. Around the age of 17, as I was gaining recognition, envy and undue pressure erupted, even from politicians and businessmen. This filled me with sadness.“

Are you very close to your teacher Minsoo Sohn?
"He is my guide and my savior. Some musicians argue that to become an artist, it is necessary to study with different masters. But pianists like Egorov, Lipatti, Rachmaninoff, Busoni, Horowitz, and Kissin did not act this way. Each had a mentor with whom they remained connected, and from that foundation, they developed their own music.“

Do you continue to study a lot?
"Up to thirteen hours a day. Music demands total commitment. According to Rainer Maria Rilke, only solitude can lead us to achieve profound art. One of my wishes for the future is to marry and share that solitude with my wife, as I believe that shared isolation can bring greater depth to my heart and my music.“

Why is European classical music so popular among Koreans?
"It's a people with an intense soul who love to sing and play, in general.“

Who are your reference pianists?
"Those of the old Russian school: Sofronitsky, Rachmaninoff, and Horowitz.“

Can you define your relationship with your instrument?
"The piano is my land, my universe, my wind, my ocean, my mountain, and my lover."

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