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18-year-old pianist Yunchan Lim won the prestigious Van Cliburn Piano Competition in the United States.

He is the youngest winner in the 60-year history of this competition.



It is delivered by Kim Soo-hyun, a reporter specializing in culture and art.



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[Marin Alsopp/Conductor/Concours Jury Chairman: Gold Medalist at the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Yunchan Lim!]



The youngest 18-year-old winner in Van Cliburn Competition history was born.



In the final, where 6 people advanced, Yunchan Lim's performance of Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 3 was praised as an overwhelming performance.



It became a hot topic for every round, including the semi-finals, in which all of List's Transcendental Training Songs were played, as well as technical perfection as well as strong expressive power.



In 2019, at the age of 15, he became the youngest winner of the Yun Sang International Music Competition, attracting attention as a next-generation prospect and is currently attending the Korea National University of Arts.



In addition to the prize money of 100,000 dollars and the gold medal that gives him a chance to perform for three years, he also received the Best New Performance Award and the Audience Award chosen by voting, but he said that he was embarrassed to receive an unexpectedly large award, and said he would think more and work harder.



[Yoonchan Lim/Pianist: Because the goal of this contest was how deep music would be played, I am a musician who is really lacking, but I received such a ridiculous award…

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This competition is held every four years to commemorate the American pianist Van Cliburn, who won the first Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow during the Cold War era.



Before the awards ceremony, the Ukrainian national anthem was played, and Russia's Anna Genyushene and Ukraine's Dmitro Chony took the 2nd and 3rd place respectively, symbolizing the musical solidarity that took place on stage during the war.



The winner of the previous 15th contest was Seonwoo Ye-kwon, who also set a record for winning a Korean title twice in a row.



The online broadcast of the contest surpassed 8.5 million views in 170 countries, and classic fans around the world watched the birth of a new star.



(Video provided by Van Cliburn Competition, Kumho Cultural Foundation)