20 May 2025 Royal Albert Hall

There is no spectacle to it. There is no effort to hold your attention, yet he holds it completely. The piano becomes an extension of him, and his hands melt into the keys, playing them with delicate precision and ardour.
I am watching from the stalls as 21-year-old piano virtuoso Yunchan Lim performs in this prestigious setting of the Royal Albert Hall. Constructed in the 1870s, the Hall was dedicated entirely to promoting the arts and sciences to the public — a vision championed by Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria.
Packed with some 5,000 seats (not including the standing gallery), the hall is cloaked in an atmosphere of pin-drop silence as every audience member watches intently.
On my way to the venue, I was momentarily transported back to Korea, surrounded by the cadenced murmur of the Korean language.

Lim first drew international attention when he won the distinguished Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at the age of 19 — the youngest ever to do so. It was a moment that catapulted him onto the world stage, marking the beginning of his rapid ascent.

Experts have lauded Lim for his unique ability to blend youthful energy with profound musical insight. His expressive range and mature musicianship have set him apart as a distinctive voice in contemporary classical performance.

In the historic hall where I sit, Lim performs Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Vasily Petrenko. The evening’s programme also features Mussorgsky’s Night on the Bare Mountain, orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov, and concludes with Strauss’s An Alpine Symphony.
As Lim’s fingers dance over the keys during Chopin’s concerto, the vastness of the hall seems to contract — drawing each listener into an intimate musical conversation. The orchestra’s performance of Strauss that follows is a sweeping sonic journey, but it is Lim’s encore — delicate, unannounced — that lingers. A testament to his profound artistry.

This marks Lim’s third concert in London. His debut was at Wigmore Hall in 2023, where he performed a selection of works by Bach, Beethoven, and Dowland. He returned to the same venue earlier this year, in April, offering a spellbinding interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Audiences and critics alike praised his interpretive depth and technical mastery.

Shortly after the concert, I discovered that Lim had played one of my favourite pieces — affectionately known as the Rach 3 — for the Cliburn competition. I made this discovery on a typically unpleasant rush-hour commute, and found myself utterly transfixed, watching the video on my phone. Lim’s passion and precision in navigating the complexities of Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto left me breathless. So engrossed was I, that I barely noticed my earring falling off on the way in – I thankfully found it much later.

In an age where music genres constantly evolve, Lim’s playing invites both seasoned enthusiasts and new listeners to experience the timeless beauty of the piano concerto — proving that genuine artistry can captivate across generations. What sets Yunchan Lim apart is not just technical brilliance but his remarkable ability to convey deep emotion through subtle nuance. In a world where classical music can sometimes feel distant or overly formal, Lim’s performances resonate with a fresh, heartfelt immediacy that bridges tradition and contemporary sensibility.

Yunchan Lim’s appeal is reminding us of the quiet power of sincerity and skill. There are no theatrics — just a piano, an accompanying orchestra — and the profound clarity of his musical voice. Long after I left the hall, his performance lingered with me, prompting me to revisit his breathtaking interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 — the very performance from the Van Cliburn competition that went viral. It amassed  millions of views on YouTube and catapulting him into global recognition. What stood out at the Royal Albert Hall was not only his remarkable command of the music, but the evident mutual respect between him and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra — a musical dialogue that flowed with effortless precision. In a recent interview with South Korea’s JTBC (Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company), Lim spoke with quiet candour about his intense schedule, his life of practice, and shared moments with close musical friends — listening to music lying on the floor, or even on the street. It’s this rare combination of devotion and humility that makes his playing so unforgettable. I, for one, can’t wait to witness his return to the Royal Albert Hall this August for the Proms.

All images featured here were taken by me, Diya. Press tickets generously provided courtesy of Jo Thompson, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Update: 5 June 2025: A version of this article appears on Korea.Net HR Studio