Pianist Lim Dong-hyek Emerges From Slump With Bach

Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul

This is the second in a series of interviews with the next generation of classical musicians. ― ED

Lim Dong-hyek seems to have it all ― international competition trophies and two award-winning records with EMI under his belt before turning 20. To top it off, the 23-year-old has the cult following of a rock star in Korea.

His online fan club membership exceeds 400,000 people and his sold-out recitals start emptying out before curtains close as fans make an early exit to line up outside for his autograph. It's an unprecedented popularity for a classical musician here.

But in a recent Korea Times interview in Seoul, he rejected the notion of stars in classical music as well as nicknames like ``prodigy'' the public gave him. ``I mean, come on, Mozart was a true prodigy,'' he said.His denial, however, was not marked by humility but rather an unrestrained outspokenness, which kept his manager uneasy throughout the interview.

Lim seemed to break just about every stereotype of a classical musician. He doesn't live and breathe music 24 hours a day. In fact, he said he prefers not to talk about music in private situations and finds computer games more stimulating than the piano.

``Games are so strongly addictive, but why isn't the piano like that?'' he said jokingly. But he thought for a moment and said, ``But then again, the piano is like a soft addiction,'' he said.And staying away from the stage, where one can truly indulge in the ``soft addiction,'' was surely painful. The past two years for Lim was a long period of ennui and confusion as an artistic slump hit. But it was while playing a computer game that he heard a CD ― Glen Gould's rendition of Bach's Goldberg Variations ― and snapped out of it.

Now he's back in Korea for a recital tour, currently making his way across 12 cities through March 7.

Back With Bach

Going back a bit, how did it all happen? Lim is a prime example of success stories that encourage aspiring classical musicians to flock overseas to master the art of classical music. He himself endorses foreign training. ``Classical music is after all a Western art. I think learning about the culture helps better understand it,'' he said.

Lim started the piano at a relatively late age of seven, but by 10 had moved to Moscow, where he gave recitals attended by Russian president Boris Yeltsin. He went on to study in Hanover and is now at the Juilliard School in New York with Emmanuel Ax.

But it was far from easy.

In addition to the constant artistic battle with the self, he had to fight another war against prejudice. ``Racial discrimination is a lot more prevalent in the classical music world than you think. I have to work twice as hard to prove myself,'' he said. In 2005 he shared third place with his older brother Dong-min at the International Chopin event, where there was no second prizewinner. It was a phenomenal achievement, but the experience proved to be rather anticlimactic for Lim.

``I expect the worst for each competition, but the next is always even worse,'' said Lim, who will probably be forever known as the pianist who declined third prize at the 2003 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels.He felt tired and decided to stay out of the competition pool. Entering one competition after another had kept him focused, and lacking an immediate goal, he ``lounged around doing nothing.''

``I didn't really know which direction to take,'' he said. ``But (the slump) would have come sooner or later, and I'm glad I got through it now. It's better now than later.

``Besides, what else can I do?'' he said. ``Playing the piano is the only thing I know how to do. It would be a waste to just throw away all the effort I've put into it,'' he said casually, but then said, ``The slump actually made me realize how much I can't live without music.'' Hearing Bach's Goldberg Variations by chance would inspire him to start anew. When you've hit rock bottom, there's nowhere else to go but up.

Last June, he made a comeback to the competition circle, finishing fourth at the Tchaikovsky event. He took up his new repertoire with vigor. Known as an interpreter of Chopin, Lim interpreter calls it ``stealing a glance of Bach.'' ``It's part of a never-ending process of learning as a musician. I thought if I were to do it, I might as well do a big piece. The Goldberg Variations is such a well-known piece, so it's a great challenge.``I learned the Chopin pieces with my heart, but had to use more of my head for Bach.

``It was like water and oil, they didn't mix together well,'' he said. Has Bach reached his heart yet? ``I'm not sure, I'll have to see with the first performance. Playing the piece onstage before an audience reveals its true charms,'' he said.

Lim will be giving his sixth performance tonight (Wednesday). He is still nervous each time he goes onstage, but each recital brings him closer to Bach, according to his manager.``It sounds a bit abstract, but it's all about communicating beauty. If I can touch or move the audience in any way, my mission is complete,'' he said. He will also be recording an album in April after the tour. ``But I'm not going to stay with Bach for too long. It's sort of ironic, but it's part of exploring something else so I can do what I do (Romantic works) better,'' he said.

And so his transformation as artist and as an individual continues. ``I want to mature as a human being,'' he said. As a musician, he refused to be defined in one color.``It's like a prism,'' he said about his musical world. ``The hue depends on how you look at it, and constantly changes depending on when and where it is.''

But some things don't seem to change. He's been living abroad for 14 years now, but remains Korean to the core. He only eats Korean food, including breakfast, and can't live without kimchi jjigae (pot stew) and gobchang gui (grilled small intestine of cattle). Lim said now that he's stepped out of the slump, he wants to gain weight and be healthier. Perhaps some Korean food in Korea would do the trick.

Lim is presenting a full program that includes the Goldberg Variations as well as Chaconne, BWV 1004 and the chorale preludes by Bach/Busoni. He will perform tonight (Feb. 20) in Ulsan; Friday at Goyang; Saturday at Nowon; Feb. 26 in Seoul; Feb. 28 in Seongnam; Feb. 29 in Suwon; March 3 in Seosan; and March 7 in Gwacheon.

The Seoul performance will take place at 8 p.m. at the concert hall of the Seoul Arts Center. Tickets cost 30,000-80,000 won. Call 1577-5266 for tickets and (02) 318-4303 for inquiries.