YEOL EUM-SON
PIANOYEOL EUM-SON
PIANO
ABOUT
Poetic elegance, an innate feeling for expressive nuance and the power to project bold, dramatic contrasts are among the arresting attributes of Yeol Eum Son’s pianism. Her refined artistry rises from breathtaking technical control and a profound empathy for the emotional temper of the works within her strikingly wide repertoire. She is driven above all by her natural curiosity to explore a multitude of musical genres and styles and the desire to reveal what she describes as the “pure essence” of everything she performs. Yeol Eum refuses to impose limits on her artistic freedom and remains determined to explore new artistic territory. Her choice of repertoire, which spans everything from the works of Bach and Mozart to those of Shchedrin and Kapustin, is guided chiefly by the quality and depth of the music.
In high demand as recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician, Yeol Eum has won critical plaudits for the profound insights and intelligence of her interpretations. Her development as an all-round artist has gained from collaborations with conductors as diverse as Lorin Maazel, Dmitri Kitajenko, Valery Gergiev, Antonio Pappano, Andrew Manze, Jaime Martin, Jun Märkl, Roberto González-Monjas, Jonathon Heyward, Ryan Bancroft, Pablo Gonzalez, Pietari Inkinen, Eivind Aadland, Joana Carneiro, Anja Bihlmaier, Dima Slobodeniouk, Gergely Madaras, Alexander Shelley and Omer Meir Welber.
During 22/23 season Yeol Eum served as an Artist-in-Residence with the Residentie Orkest in the Hague with performances of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.25, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and I Got Rhythm, Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No.2 and Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. Further season highlights in 2022-23 included a succession of debut performances with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2), the NDR Radiophilharmonie (Beethoven Piano Concerto No.4 and Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2), the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No.1), the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias (Szymanowski Symphony No.4), Musikkollegium Winterthur (Ravel Piano Concerto in G major), the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (Mozart Piano Concerto No.27), the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (Beethoven Piano Concerto No.2 and Mozart Piano Concerto No.23), the Sydney Symphony (Mozart Piano Concerto No.20), Melbourne Symphony (Ravel Piano Concerto in G major) , Tasmanian Symphony (Chopin Piano Concerto No.2) and Auckland Philharmonia (Chopin Piano Concerto No.2). Yeol Eum closed the season with her debuts at the Edinburgh International Festival, Rosendal Chamber Music Festival and return visit at the Helsingborg Piano Festival.
Across 23/24 season, Yeol Eum collaborates ones again with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern at home in Germany and on tour in South Korea (Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3), Tasmanian Symphony (Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3) and Auckland Philharmonia (Mozart Piano Concerto No.24). Yeol Eum makes debuts with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (Chopin Piano Concerto No.2), Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Britten Piano Concerto), Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (Mozart Piano Concerto No.20), NAC Orchestra (Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.2), West Australian Symphony Orchestra (Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3) and Tenerife Symphony (Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.3). She also returns to the Melbourne Recital Centre and Adelaide International Piano Series, and makes recital debuts at the Singapore International Piano Festival, Risør Chamber Music Festival, International Piano Festival of Oeiras, and Mänttä Music Festival.
The international reach of her past seasons’ work is clearly reflected in collaborations with, among others, the Konzerthaus Orchestra Berlin, the Gürzenich, Dresden Philharmonic and Tonkünstler Orchestras, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Orchestre national d’Île-de-France, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Aurora Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic at the 2019 BBC Proms, BBC Scottish, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Budapest Festival, Helsinki, and Bergen Philharmonic, Basel Symphony, Castilla y León Symphony and Spanish Radio and Television Symphony orchestras, Singapore Symphony, San Diego and Detroit Symphony and the Mariinsky Orchestra.
Yeol Eum Son, born in Wonju, South Korea in 1986, received her first piano lessons at the age of three-and-a-half. She was among the prize winners at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in 1997 and won the Oberlin International Piano Competition two years later. Yeol Eum studied at Korea National University of Arts and continued her training with Professor Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.
Yeol Eum attracted international attention when she secured second prize and the Best Chamber Music Performance at the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition. She underlined her position among the most gifted artists of her generation at the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition, where she won the Silver Medal and received the coveted competition’s prizes for Best Chamber Concerto Performance and Best Performance of the Commissioned Work.
Over the past decade Yeol Eum has achieved global acclaim not least for her interpretations of Mozart’s piano concertos. In 2016 she joined the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and Sir Neville Marriner in what proved to be the conductor’s final recording, setting down a radiant interpretation of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21 for Onyx Classics. She made her London debut at Cadogan Hall with the same work and orchestra in 2018 and enchanted the audience at the Royal Albert Hall the following year with Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.15 for her debut at the BBC Proms. The YouTube video of her performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21 at the International Tchaikovsky Competition has been viewed almost 23 million times, thought to be a record figure for any live Mozart work on the platform.
In addition to her all-Mozart album for Onyx (2018) most recently Yeol Eum released her debut on Naïve in March 2023 with a stunning boxset of Mozart’s Complete Piano Sonatas, the album earned early acclaim from the international classical press, including being named Classic FM’s Album of the Week. Yeol Eum’s discography also includes Modern Times, an album of works by Berg, Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Ravel (Decca, 2016), a recording of Schumann’s Fantasy in C, Kreisleriana and Arabesque (Onyx, 2020) and a disc devoted to Nikolai Kapustin’s Eight Concert Etudes, Piano Sonata No.2 and other representative compositions (Onyx, 2021).
RECENT PRAISE
Artalinna
Jean-Charles Hoffelé
Yeol Eum Son is musicality itself, and has the fingers of God… with an innate sense of tactus, and this way of always being between pleasure and emotion.
OPERAPOINT
DR OLAF ZENNER
Yeol Eum Son plays all the words with absolute perfection; she performs the Allegro movements with breathtaking virtuosity.
Vox Carnyx
Ken Walton
Son signed off with exuberant flair in the Sonata No 2 by Ukrainian composer Nikolay Kapustin. It is unadulterated jazz, frenzied improvisation writ large, played here with breathtaking virtuosity and physical abandon. It had its tender moments – a bluesy Largo with super-heated harmonies – but the emphasis was on showmanship, which Son applied full on. She leapt from her stool in the final flurry of madcap glissandi; we all but jumped from our own seats in instant response.
Helsingin Sanomat
Annmari Salmela
Yeol Eum Son plays magnificently.. showing it in all places where the piano is heard. She breathes nicely in the second part, weaving and wrapping themes. What power and passion from Yeol Eum Son’s playing!”Annmari Salmela.
Scherzo
Michel Thallium
The pianist Yeol Eum Son demonstrated her virtuosity with a powerful sound in the left hand, electrifying in the arpeggios and glissandi. Ravel’s work pleased the audience, as did Yoel Eum Son’s interpretation.
Seen and Heard International
Paul Corfield Godfrey
At first, one feared that her delicacy might prove inadequate to the more barnstorming music that would follow. Those fears were groundless; she was harbouring her strength. In the climax before the cadenza (given here in the extended version that even Rachmaninov feared to play) she rose to the challenge presented by the orchestral tutti. She sprang up from her seat to descend on the keyboard with the full force of her body. From this moment onward, the performance simply rose from one beautifully charged climax to another.
NEWS
Yeol Eum Son Makes Oslo Philharmonic Debut 4 April
Pianist Yeol Eum Son makes her debut in the Norwegian capital with the Oslo Philharmonic on 4 April. She performs Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the orchestra under conductor Eivind Aadland. This marks her first return to the Nordic region since her 22/23 season’s Finnish Radio Symphony debut (Rachmaninov’s
Yeol Eum Son Releases “Love Music” with Svetlin Roussev on Naïve from 1 March
Yeol Eum Son releases Love Music with violinist Svetlin Roussev on Naïve. The album, which features music by Waxman, Korngold, Kreisler, Richard Strauss and Wagner is available for streaming now. The recording is available on CD now in France and will be released around the world throughout March. Click here
Yeol Eum Son Makes Much Anticipated Returns to Australia and New Zealand in February, March & June 2024
Pianist Yeol Eum Son makes her much anticipated return to Australia and New Zealand in February and March. On 22 February, she returns to the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 with Chief Conductor Giordano Bellincampi. She then returns to the
Yeol Eum Son Named Apple Music Classical Artist Ambassador in Korea
Yeol Eum Son is appointed an Apple Music Classical Artist Ambassador in Korea. She joins pianist Yunchan Lim who was previously announced. Apple Music Classical, the standalone app designed specifically for classical music, is now available in Korea. Beginning today, Apple Music subscribers can download and enjoy the Apple Music Classical app as part of their existing
Yeol Eum Son Reunites with Pietari Inkinen and Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken in Germany and On Tour in South Korea 10 – 20 September
Pianist Yeol Eum Son makes her much anticipated return to Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern on 10 September. She will perform Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30, conducted by Chief Conductor Pietari Inkinen. Her 2021 debut with the orchestra and Inkinen earned her rave reviews for
Don’t Miss Yeol Eum Son’s Summer Festival Performances
Pianist Yeol Eum Son celebrates summer with performances at three European festivals. From 8 – 12 August, Yeol Eum will give share five concerts at Leif Ove Andsnes’ acclaimed Rosendal Chamber Music Festival in Norway. Brahms’ is the theme for the 2023 edition, and Yeol Eum will perform the composer’s
Yeol Eum Son Announces Mozart Sonatas Recital Tour in South Korea
Yeol Eum Son has announced a Mozart Sonatas recital tour in South Korea, in celebration of her latest album Mozart: Complete Piano Sonatas that was released in March on Naïve. A full list of tour dates can be found below. The album earned early acclaim from the international classical press. Wolf-Ulrich Ebersberger from Nürnberger Nachrichten wrote, “One still
Yeol Eum Son Makes Her Play-Direct Debut with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Following highly successful debuts last year with Detroit and San Diego Symphony Orchestra, “Brilliantly inventive” (Limelight) concert pianist Yeol Eum Son returns to the USA to make her Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra debut in a trio of concerts from the 19-21 May. Yeol Eum will lead the orchestra from the bench in
Yeol Eum Son Releases “Profound” Mozart: The Complete Sonatas as Naïve Classics Debut
Pianist Yeol Eum Son makes her debut on Naïve with a stunning box-set of Mozart’s Complete Piano Sonatas on 17 March. Yeol Eum Son immerses herself in the limitless whimsical imagination of Mozart’s sonatas, and with this complete collection takes us on a voyage in a land of contrasts.The album has earned early acclaim
Yeol Eum Son Signs with naïve; First Release – Mozart’s Complete Piano Sonata – Out March 2023
Pianist Yeol Eum Son has signed with naïve, A Believe label. The first album of this brilliant new collaboration is a 6-CD box set of Mozart’s complete piano sonatas. The stunning new recording will be available in stores and online on 17 March 2023. Yeol Eum said, “I am beyond excited to begin
Yeol Eum Son Signs with naïve; First Release – Mozart’s Complete Piano Sonata – Out March 2023
Pianist Yeol Eum Son has signed with naïve, A Believe label. The first album of this brilliant new collaboration is a 6-CD box set of Mozart’s complete piano sonatas. The stunning new recording will be available in stores and online on 17 March 2023. Yeol Eum said, “I am beyond
Yeol Eum Son and Jonathon Heyward Collaborate with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
This weekend, Yeol Eum Son returns to the United States for her debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, with three performances on the 9-11 December. Conducted by Jonathon Heyward, this weekend marks Jonathon’s second time with the orchestra, following a brilliant debut in the summer. This week’s programme features Tania León’s Pasajes (Co-Commission),
Yeol Eum Son Embarks on Four Cities Australian Debut Tour This Summer
Pianist Yeol Eum Son began her Australian debut tour with a recital performance for the 2022 Harris International Piano Series in Adelaide on 19 August. The programme featured an eclectic programme comprised of Guillaume’s 3 Pièces for Piano, Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite, Hirtz’s Wizard of Oz Fantasy, Janáček’s Piano Sonata 1.X.1905, “From the Street”, and Kapustin’s Piano Sonata No.
Yeol Eum Son Debuts with Sinfonieorchester Basel
Following a highly successful Basel debut with the Belcea String Quartet at Gare du Nord earlier this season, Yeol Eum Son returns to Basel for her debut with Sinfonieorchester Basel on 1 and 2 June at Stadtcasino Basel, performing Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major under the baton of Krzysztof Urbański. The
Meet Yeol Eum Son: timeless, crystal clear and graceful – Artist in Residence with Residentie Orkest
Yeol Eum Son, who makes her Amsterdam Concertgebouw recital debut on 7 May, has just been announced as Artist in Residence throughout 22/23 season with the Residentie Orkest , Den Haag. Together with chief conductor Anja Bihlmaier, Yeol Eum Son opens the Dutch political year with the popular Prinsjesdag concert on 20
Yeol Eum Son Debuts With BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Flagey Piano Days In February
Following a highly successful debut with Iceland Symphony Orchestra in Edinburgh in 2020, Yeol Eum Son returns to Scotland for her debut with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performing Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Piano Concerto on the 17 Feb, 14:00. The repertoire also features Anna Clyde’s <<rewind<< and Stravinsky’s Petrushka (1947 version). Joana Carneiro conducts. More information and tickets
Yeol Eum Son to Perform Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto with Deutsche Radio Philharmonie 23 & 24 September
Yeol Eum Son returns to Deutsche Radio Philharmonie. She will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” in E-flat Major, Op. 73, with conductor Pietari Inkinen, on 23 September in Saabrücken and 24 September in Kaiserlautern. Yeol Eum Son’s graceful and timeless interpretations, crystalline touch and versatile, thrilling performances have caught the attention of audiences worldwide.
Yeol Eum Son Releases New Album “Kapustin” on Onyx
Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son has released a stunning recording of works by Nikolai Kapustin on ONYX. Yeol Eum’s recording of Kapustin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 in E, Op. 54 was selected by Gramphone’s Editor in Chief James Jolly for the magazine’s Apple Music playlist, The Listening Room. Yeol Eum says, “It is my utmost pleasure to
Pianist Yeol Eum Son Makes Debut with Music Director Case Scaglione and ONDIF
Yeol Eum Son will make her debut with Music Director Case Scaglione at Orchestre national d’Île-de-France (ONDIF) in the Grande salle Pierre Boulez at the Philharmonie Paris on Saturday, 20 March. She will perform Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto. Scaglione will also conduct Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2. The concert will be streamed live on ONDIF’s website and
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