The South Korean started slowly, with judicious use of the pedal, his legato phrasing supported with adequate bass to produce a rich texture. As the music built to a climax, his body remained perfectly still as his fingers pounded the keys.

The second Ballade began even more slowly than one would expect, suggesting a tendency to reinforce and dramatise contrasts. Lim managed the transitions smoothly, showing the different colours of the piano splendidly and leaping from powerful explosions back to lyrical lightness.

The delicacy of the high notes in the third Ballade, played as he looked to the ceiling, was transcendental. Lim created a solemn ambience, as if he was urging the audience to hold their breath until the very end.

The last piece in the set showed his deep understanding of the music and revealed overlooked melodies. His hands were steady, his playing meticulous in its detail, and the control he exuded reminiscent of former International Chopin Piano Competition winner Garrick Ohlsson.

The first half of the concert ended with the Fantasia in F sharp minor, Opus 28, by Mendelssohn. This piece features ample virtuosic passages, which Lim played with great clarity and dexterity. He maintained the momentum of the energetic music and kept up the tension in the long phrases.

However, his playing was too loud for a piano piece by Mendelssohn, especially in the light and lively second section. It sounded as if Lim was playing a concerto with a full orchestra. He generates power effortlessly, like a kung fu master who can knock over a mighty opponent with a little push.

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The second half featured three works by Liszt. Lim appears particularly fond of the Hungarian composer’s works – he played his twelve Transcendental Studies in his semi-final recital in the Van Cliburn competition.

The first piece was inspired by the story of St Francis of Assisi and features a long, birdlike trill that Lim played with alternating hands so seamlessly it was impossible to notice the change of hands. After several minutes there was a pause – representing the attentiveness of the birds to St Francis’ teaching, and offering a moment to draw breath amid the intensity of the music.

The second piece was a complete contrast, with bass trills imitating swelling waves. There was a particularly memorable moment when Lim lifted his hands from the keyboard after the final chord, yet the sound of the piano continued to resonate around the concert hall.

The notes of the chord faded one by one to leave a dissonance, but as Lim sat motionless on his stool a tonic E note restored harmony. Never before had I heard an effect like this. It was magical.

The last piece of the night was Liszt’s Dante Sonata, a work in which Lim made full use of his power. His previously still body bounced up and down as he attacked the keyboard, producing a gigantic wall of sound yet not at the expense of the work’s poetry.

The audience was in raptures, and Lim ended the evening with three encores.

Chen Sa, the Chinese pianist who was one of the jurors for the International Chopin Piano Competition last year, appealed for pianists to exhibit more individual character. Lim has that in spades.

He has fire and also the craftsmanship and insight of someone much older. Without a doubt he will match the artistic excellence of compatriots like Cho Seong-jin and Paik Kun-woo.

“2022 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist: Yunchan Lim HK Debut”, Grand Hall, The University of Hong Kong. Reviewed: Nov 11, 2022