Decca Classics has signed pianist Yunchan Lim, who has attracted huge attention since becoming the youngest ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition last year. 

In a triumphant competition, the South Korean, then aged 18, initially raised eyebrows by choosing to devote his entire semi-final recital to Liszt’s complete Transcendental Études, though as Jed Distler recalled in a cover story for Gramophone’s sister-title International Piano (which you can read below), 'Lim’s astonishing yet intelligent virtuosity and his total immersion in Liszt’s idiom truly defined "transcendental".' Of his Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 3 from the final round, Marin Alsop - who conducted - said: ‘Technically, he’s phenomenal, and the colours and dynamics are phenomenal. He’s incredibly musical and seems like a very old soul. It’s really quite something.’

Aside from critical acclaim in the pages of publications such as ours, Yunchan’s appeal extends to audiences far beyond classical music’s reach, particularly in his native South Korea where unofficial T-shirts bearing his face can apparently be bought. That Van Cliburn Competition performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 3 has attracted 12 million views on YouTube, while a live stream of his recital at London’s Wigmore Hall last January has been viewed more than 100,000 times.

Decca Classics's Label Director Dominic Fyfe and Executive Producer Helen Rogers jointly said in a statement: 'Decca is home to the legacies of some of the greatest pianists on record: from Arrau and Ashkenazy to Brendel, Backhaus and Uchida. With Yunchan we begin a new chapter, one which looks back to that golden age of pianism but which also promises to set a gold standard for the future. We are privileged that Yunchan has chosen to make his home with Decca Classics and look forward to a long and storied relationship.'

His Decca debut album will be released in the spring, while forthcoming opportunities to see Lim in concert include his upcoming Carnegie Hall debut, plus performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris alongside fellow Decca artist Klaus Mäkelä, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Music Director Vasily Petrenko.