Yunchan Lim Chopin Etudes LP

Yunchan Lim is the one of the most talked-about classical artists on the planet. In 2024, he presents his debut studio album on Decca Classics — the Chopin Études, Op.10 and Op.25.

Lim became the youngest ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, aged only 18; his performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 moved his conductor to tears and gathered unprecedented millions of online viewers. In the months following, his rise to stardom has been meteoric, with invitations from the most prestigious concert halls and orchestras.

Now, setting down the Op. 10 and Op. 25 Études, Lim is putting himself in a direct line with some of the greatest pianists of the past. Says Lim, "a huge universe of pianists played this repertoire, and I have always wanted to become a fundamental musician like them, so I decided to follow their route." He has grown up listening to great pianists recording this music, including some of his favorites — Alfred Cortot, Ignaz Friedman, Joseph Lhevinne, Mark Hambourg and Sergio Fiorentino, among others.

The album cover, shot on film, pays homage to the golden age of pianists on Decca from the 1960s, featuring one of the original Decca LP logos. "To me, Chopin is a composer who yearned for the past," explains Lim. "I wanted the album cover to feel like solitude and nostalgia, and to look like you have come across an old photo."

He has the potential to become a once-in-a-generation pianist, one who combines astounding virtuosity with interpretive depth.

Listen and marvel.