(LEAD) Lim Yunchan wins prestigious Gramophone award in piano category

South Korean Pianist Lim Yunchan won the prestigious Gramophone Classical Music Award in the piano category, the annual British award’s organizer said Wednesday, marking the first time that a Korean pianist has received the prize dubbed the Oscars for classical music.

During a ceremony in London, Lim, 20, received the award for his album, “Chopin: Etudes.” He also won the “Young Artist of the Year” award.

Launched in 1977, the award is one of the most significant honors given to recordings in the classical record industry. It is often seen as an event equivalent to America’s Grammy awards or called the Oscars for classical music.

Lim rose to international preeminence in 2022 when he won the top prize at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the decadesold international contest in the United States.

He started to get international attention at age 14 when he won second prize and the Chopin Special Award in his first-ever competition, the Cleveland Internation
al Piano Competition for Young Artists in 2018.

In the same year, Lim won the third-place prize and the audience prize in the Cooper International Competition. In 2019, he became the youngest to win Korea’s Isang Yun International Competition.

Source: Yonhap News Agency