Classical pianist Dong-Hyek Lim was born in Seoul, South Korea on July 25, 1984. He is regarded as one of the finest pianists of his generation. After early studies at the National Conservatory in his native country, at the age of 10, he moved to Russia to study at the Moscow Central Music School. In September 1996, at the age of 12, he won second prize in the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists, which was held in Moscow, Russia. Although his older brother Dong-Min Lim tied for first place, Dong-Hyek Lim received more international press attention by being the youngest pianist to ever partake in the competition. He continued to win awards, including being the youngest pianist in history to win the Premier Grand Prix at the 2001 Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud International Piano Competition in Paris. Lim performed at venues and festivals in countries around the world including France, Poland, Germany, England, Japan, and Switzerland. He became the youngest pianist to sign a recording contract with EMI Classics in May of 2001. He has released a series of albums under his own name – including 2004’s Chopin Recital and 2019’s Symphonic Dances– and has issued collaborations with other artists including 2017’s Mozart & Beethoven Violin Sonatas (with violinist Ji Young Lim) and Schubert for Two (with violinist Suyoen Kim).
