Dong Hyek Lim - Chopin: 24 Préludes, Barcarolle, Berceuse & Variations brillantes (2023)

Dong Hyek Lim arrived on the scene at just 18 years old ‘in a blaze of pianistic glory’ (Gramophone) with a debut album championed by his mentor Martha Argerich. The South Korean virtuoso went on to take third prize in the 15th International Chopin Piano Competition. Ten years later, following studies with Emmanuel Ax at the Juilliard School in New York, his artistry has matured and deepened for this long-awaited recital of the 24 Preludes and other works by Chopin – a composer who remains especially close to his heart.

His new recital of works by Chopin, centred on the set of 24 Preludes, continues a relationship with the label that goes back to 2002. Lim, then just 18 years old, was introduced to the world with a CD in the ‘Martha Argerich Presents’ series. In France, the album was awarded the prestigious Diapason d’Or. It was followed in 2008 with an album of Bach’s Goldberg Variations coupled with the Bach-Busoni Chaconne. The French magazine Le Monde de la Musique awarded it a ‘Choc’, while Gramophone wrote that: “There’s no question that he’s a very impressive pianist … [who gives] the sense of profound pleasure in the music … And he’s not afraid to experiment with what he can do in this music … An artist to watch.”