[INTERVIEW] Pianist Lim Dong-hyek: 'Most nervous about performing in Korea'

Pianist Lim Dong-hyek sits at the piano during an interview with The Korea Times at Cosmos Art Hall in southern Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Acclaimed pianist to perform at The Korea Times' concert

By Dong Sun-hwa

Listing all the accolades that pianist Lim Dong-hyek has earned during his 20-year career would take a long time, but just to mention a few, he ranked second at the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Russia at the age of 12, as the youngest participant that year, and won the fifth prize at the International Busoni Piano Competition in Italy in 2000, before becoming the youngest pianist ever to ink a recording contract with EMI Classics ― the classical music label behind internationally acclaimed artists like Nigel Kennedy, which later changed its name to Warner Classics ― in 2005.

But the 37-year-old who is known as a piano genius still suffers from bad stage fright, which keeps him on his toes whenever he performs before an audience.

"Above all, I am the most nervous about performing in Korea, maybe because I get to read a lot of comments about me on the internet after holding a concert," Lim said during an interview with The Korea Times at Cosmos Art Hall in southern Seoul, Tuesday. "I think Korean audiences are not very generous to Korean musicians. They seem to think highly of performers from the West, believing that Asian musicians are no match for them. This prevalent belief or prejudice has not disappeared over the decades, and in my eyes, it is a sign of xenocentrism," he said, referring to the preference for a culture other than one's own.

He added that he has seen numerous online comments from Koreans criticizing a Korean artist when he or she replaced a Western musician in a performance.

"A slew of internet users have attacked Korean musicians without knowing how talented they are," he said. "I really want to stress that there are a lot of great Asian musicians around the world."

The poster for The Korea Times' "Spring Concert: New Era Brings New Hope," to be held at the Seoul Arts Center on March 26, where pianist Lim Dong-hyek will perform

Lim is scheduled to perform at The Korea Times' annual concert ― with this year's title being "Spring Concert: New Era Brings New Hope" ― at Seoul Arts Center at 5 p.m., March 26, while also holding six recitals nationwide from March 18 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his debut.

The Spring Concert, which is co-hosted by the newspaper and its sister paper the Hankook Ilbo, intends to deliver a message of hope to the audience amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with conductor Hong Seok-won and the Korean Symphony Orchestra, Lim will play Bizet's Carmen Overture, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23, and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 "From the New World."

"As always, I am quite nervous about the upcoming event, largely because I have to play pieces that I have not performed for many years," Lim said. "Tchaikovsky's work is not easy as well. But I am thrilled at the same time, as I might be able to play the pieces in a new and different way."

Pianist Lim Dong-hyek plays the piano after having an interview with The Korea Times at Cosmos Art Hall in southern Seoul, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Lim is often praised for his delicate touch at the piano, with many considering his sentimentalism and romanticism as the crown jewels of his performances. However, he is quite different offstage. This bold and outspoken man does not shy away from expressing his views on a range of hot-button issues, including politics.

During the interview, he weighed in with the cultural boycotts against pro-Vladimir Putin musicians like Valery Gergiev and Denis Matsuev, triggered by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is known as the largest military conflict in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).

"I am not sure if it is appropriate to impose boycotts against musicians, but I think it is inevitable to put sanctions on Russia to deter it from committing more inhumane acts," commented Lim, who moved to Russia at the age of 10 and studied at the Moscow Central Music School and the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

"The fact that Putin has played a pivotal role in reviving the Russian music and performing arts industry partly explains why there are so many pro-Kremlin artists. When I was studying in Russia in the late 1990s, Putin raised the monthly salary of orchestra members from $100 to $3,000 to help them make a living and built a new hall for them, lifting the overall quality of Russian music. But I believe this cannot excuse the atrocities being committed by the Russian government right now."

Pianist Lim Dong-hyek poses during an interview with The Korea Times at Cosmos Art Hall in southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Lim ― who on March 10 put out his sixth album featuring Schubert's Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959 and No. 21 in B flat Major, D.960 ― wrapped up the interview by talking about his life beyond the facade.

"I am feeling more depressed as time goes by," he revealed. "As I grow older, it becomes more difficult to stay happy and bright. When I was young, buying a new pair of shoes or a new cellphone could make me happy, but these days, I really have to struggle to find joy in my life. I also strive to try something new and stay mentally young, so that I will not go rusty and become a better musician."

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