Victor Lim, Tuned In! Redcar

ANOTHER young pianist, 20-year-old Victor Lim from Korea, delighted a sizeable audience at Tuned In! Redcar with a marvellous display of talent.

The influence of European classical music is very strong, bringing many young musicians from the four corners of the globe to study in Britain. At the beginning of December we had the pleasure of hearing Iyad Sughayer from Jordan, and now this youthful prodigy from Korea.

Lim is in the final year of an intensive three-year BMus degree at the Royal Northern College of Music. He has won many prizes, performed at leading venues and in 2012 reached the televised Keyboard Finals of BBC Young Musician of the Year. He is passionate about teaching and has given master classes around the UK and in China, South Korea and Singapore.

He opened his recital with Beethoven’s lovely Piano Sonata in E-Major no. 26, op. 81a, a beautiful, dramatic piece which he performed very expressively.

Chopin’s Ballade no. 4 in F-minor followed. Chopin’s music is widely loved for its melodic appeal and in this Ballade there is tunefulness, combined with a gently rocking rhythm which increases in volume, to finish with a tremendous flourish. The Ballades are considered to be among the most challenging pieces in the piano repertoire

Lim was very enthusiastically received and responded with two encores by Schumann and Rachmaninov.

Peter Sotheran, who organises the Classical Cleveland events, expressed his thanks for the excellent support the concerts have attracted, and announced that he would be considering presenting concerts featuring duo musicians between solo piano recitals in the future, making a change from the established practice.

Irene MacDonald