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Yunchan Lim to hold 'guerrilla-style solo recitals' in March for charity

Published: 25 Feb. 2025, 17:14

YIM SEUNG-HYE
[email protected]

Pianist Yunchan Lim [LOTTE CONCERT HALL]

Korean pianist Yunchan Lim will hold a series of "guerrilla" concerts in March at the Goyang AramNuri Arts Center in Gyeonggi. Lim's agency MOC Production announced Monday that Lim will hold “three guerrilla-style solo recitals on March 23, 24 and 25, which are not part of his official recital tour."

Lim will be performing all three days without receiving any guarantee payments and will donate all proceeds from ticket sales to St. Mary's Hospital to help pediatric patients. MOC Production said the idea of doing such a good deed was first suggested by the artist himself.

"Lim first suggested that he wanted to perform outside the capital city of Seoul, with tickets sold at an affordable price, and that he did not want to receive any guarantee payments,” the concert organizer told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Ticket prices range from 30,000 won ($21) to 50,000 won, which is significantly lower than his previous nationwide tour where ticket prices ranged from 60,000 won to 140,000 won.

Since becoming the youngest pianist ever to win the gold medal in the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, Lim's performances have become incredibly popular. Tickets to his performances often sell out within a minute. MOC Production said Lim wanted to hold this three-day concert to improve accessibility for a wider audience.

"We intentionally decided to proceed without sponsorships or corporate partnerships to provide more seats for general fans,” said MOC Production in a statement.

For the upcoming three-day recital, Lim will perform Bach’s “Goldberg Variations,” a grand piece he's been performing across North America and Europe. He'll also perform it at his upcoming recital at Carnegie Hall in April. Previously, the only planned performance of this piece in Korea was set for the Tongyeong International Music Festival on March 30.

MOC Production described the upcoming performances as "a special surprise gift from Lim for Korean fans who have been eagerly waiting for his ‘Goldberg Variations’ performance."

Tickets for Lim's surprise recitals will go on sale on Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. and can be purchased through the Goyang Cultural Foundation's website, www.artgy.or.kr, and at Ticketlink, www.ticketlink.co.kr.

The recital begins at 5 p.m. on March 23 and at 8 p.m. on March 24 and 25.

BY YIM SEUNG-HYE [[email protected]]