The 2022 final of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in the United States was the stage on which an 18-year-old Lim Yun-chan startled the world. His performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop, is still recalled as one of the defining moments of contemporary classical music. Swinging between explosive energy and delicate expression, Lim overwhelmed the hall and became the youngest winner in the competition's history. Video of the performance drew explosive attention from classical fans around the world and proved decisive in establishing Lim as a pianist of international standing.
Four years on, Lim and Alsop are reuniting for the same work. This time they are joined by the Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the most storied ensembles in the United States. The prospect of recreating a legendary performance is part of the appeal, but attention is also focused on how Lim, who has since grown into one of the world's leading pianists, will reinterpret the piece. That is why classical fans in Korea have been counting the days to the tour. Lim's appearances were originally scheduled to begin at Arts Center Incheon on the 5th of next month, followed by the Seoul Arts Center on the 6th and 8th and the Lotte Concert Hall on the 9th. The Arts Center program on the 7th had been planned as a Philadelphia Orchestra concert under Alsop, without Lim.
Then, with barely two weeks to go, the plan changed. Lim will now also perform on the 7th, the one date he had been set to sit out. As a result, he will play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 on five consecutive days, from the 5th through the 9th.
Mok Production, the promoter, posted notice of the change in performers and program for the 7th through official ticketing channels on the 21st. "We are grateful for the interest shown in the Lim Yun-chan and Alsop concerts, and the additional appearance was decided thanks to the two musicians' wish to respond to that support from audiences," the company said. Stravinsky's "The Firebird," which the Philadelphia Orchestra had been due to play, was dropped from the program and replaced by the Rachmaninoff concerto. The promoter said ticket holders who wish to cancel because of the changes will receive full refunds without fees up until the start of the concert.
Yet what should have been welcome news has stirred controversy within the classical music business and among fans. The first question is whether such an abrupt program change so close to the concert was appropriate.
Unlike the other dates, the concert on the 7th had not featured Lim and a substantial number of seats remained unsold. Beginning in mid-October, however, rumors of an additional appearance by Lim spread through online communities for classical music enthusiasts, and the remaining seats began selling quickly. In effect, some concertgoers who caught wind of the information were able to buy tickets before the official announcement.
Fans who fought through fierce competition for the 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th — all of which sold out as soon as booking opened — were bound to object. Some are reported to have voiced strong complaints to Mok Production and the Seoul Arts Center by phone and in online posts, over both how the decision was made and how the information circulated before the official notice.
Some in the industry also question whether the performers and program were changed to boost sales. Classical programs are normally finalized before a venue is booked and tickets go on sale. At the Seoul Arts Center, outside review committee members assess the program submitted with the rental application before approval is granted. Performers and programs can be changed afterward because of a musician's health or other unavoidable circumstances, but adding a popular soloist this close to a concert is described as unusual. The Seoul Arts Center is also said to have been reluctant to approve the change. "Adding a popular performer to a concert that is selling poorly in order to sell it out goes beyond a simple question of propriety — it is a question of trust between promoters and audiences," one industry official said.
What worries fans more is Lim's crowded schedule. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 is regarded as among the most technically demanding and physically draining of all piano concertos. It requires roughly 40 minutes of relentless virtuosity, a powerful touch that must cut through a large orchestra, and sustained concentration.
One classical music critic called it "a monumental work with some 35,000 notes," adding: "Because the pianist plays as if dueling the orchestra with a forceful touch, the physical toll is considerable. Playing this piece on five consecutive days could place a significant burden on the performer."
Lim is also scheduled to play the same work three times with Alsop and the Philadelphia Orchestra at Marian Anderson Hall in Philadelphia's Kimmel Center from the 29th to the 31st, just before the Korean dates. After three straight performances in the United States, he will travel to Korea, adjust to the time difference and then take on five consecutive concerts. That amounts to eight performances of the same large-scale work in 12 days, with a crossing of the Pacific in between.
"Isn't the agency pushing an unreasonable schedule onto a single star artist?" one Lim fan said. "I worry about his health and his long-term career in music."
A heavy number of performances alone, of course, does not necessarily mean a schedule is unreasonable. The strain varies with a performer's stamina and preparation. Lim has also matured into a professional capable of judging his own schedule and condition, and the promoter said he and Alsop wanted the additional performance as a way of answering fans' support.
Even so, the dispute invites a look at the realities of the concert business behind the "Lim Yun-chan syndrome." In a classical market with few performers who command that kind of ticket power, it is not hard to understand why promoters end up relying on a handful of stars. What fans want, though, is probably less the pleasure of one more concert than the chance to hear Lim's luminous playing for many years to come.