Yeol Eum Son / Academy of St Martin in the Fields / Sir Neville Marriner MOZART

A double Second Prize winner at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 2011 (To my ears she gave the more exciting interpretation of the mandatory Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto: a blistering reading that left me gasping.

I would have given her gold, not silver’ The Times, London) and at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, Yeol Eum Son’s graceful interpretations, crystalline touch and versatile, thrilling performances have caught the attention of audiences worldwide.

Praised for her widely eclectic concerti repertoire, ranging from Bach and all Mozart to Shchedrin and Gershwin, her recent concerto highlights include appearances with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Mikko Franck, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra under Valery Gergiev, Seoul Philharmonic and a European tour with KBS Symphony Orchestra.

In the 2017-18 season, Yeol Eum makes her UK debuts in Birmingham with the CBSO (Mozart Piano Concerto No 21) and London’s Cadogan Hall with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (Mozart Piano Concertos Nos. 8 & 21) on 20 April.

This recording was the last made by Sir Neville Marriner. (Presto Classical)

  

“Conductor Neville Marriner’s final album before his death is full of wit and vitality. Under his inspiring leadership, pianist Yeol Eum Son shines in Mozart’s late Piano Concerto No. 21, playing with a forensic attention to detail and revelling in the smallest gestures while the orchestra responds exquisitely to every nuance. The stunning second movement Andante, with its subtle changes in mood, is utterly radiant, while the final Allegro, each note a sparkling jewel, emerges as a slice of musical perfection.” (Apple Music)

Yeol Eum Son MODERN TIMES

Classical pianist Son Yeol-eum has returned to the limelight with her first album in eight years, “Modern Times.” It  features a wide range of music from jazzy razzmatazz swing tunes to sounds that remind listeners of a dark and desolate night. 

“This musical theme is something I have always wanted to pursue because I think this style of music represents such important and influential times in our history,” said Son, during a press conference held at the Stradeum concert hall in Seoul.

“All of the music selected from the album are from the early 20th century, an era in which I think saw a big shift in both world history and music culture,” she added. 

Son’s new four-track album features Alban Berg’s “Piano Sonata op. 1,” Sergei Prokofiev’s “Toccata in D minor, op. 11,” Igor Stravinsky’s “Trois Mouvement de Petrouchka” and Maurice Ravel’s “Le Tombeau de Couperin La Valse.” 

The album is a far cry from other recent releases by her local pianist peers such as Cho Seong-jin, Lim Dong-hyek and Dasol Kim, which have all tended to err on the side of traditional classical pieces from Chopin to Schumann.  

“We are now living in the 21st Century, and it has been 100 years since these pieces were written,” Son explained.

“During this era I think the world has really opened up and there has been some drastic changes in the sounds of classical music … in the process of making this album, I found myself thinking about how much change happened in both the East and the West during the World Wars,” she said, adding that the seismic shift in the world’s cultural and historical climate allowed for the birth of a new generation of classical music repertories.  

Son, who is from Wonju in Gangwon Province, first drew international attention when she appeared as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 2004 under the baton of conductor Lorin Maazel. (Julie Jackson)

Clara-Jumi Kang / Yeol Eum Son SCHUMANN - BRAHMS Sonatas - Romances

A double Second Prize winner at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 2011 and at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009 Yeol Eum Son’s graceful interpretations, crystalline touch and versatile, thrilling performances have caught the attention of audiences worldwide.Yeol Eum first drew international attention in 2004, when she was chosen as the soloist for the New York Philharmonic’s tour of Asia; she subsequently reappeared with the Philharmonic and maestro Lorin Maazel in 2008. A favorite among other international orchestras, Yeol Eum has appeared with the Czech Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Svetlanov Symphony (former USSR State Symphony), NDR Radio Philharmonie, St. Petersburg Academic Symphony, Jerusalem Symphony and Seattle Symphony Orchestra among others.