Over the course of three nights from 7th to 9th November, Martha Argerich shared the stage with friends and family in chamber music with the Orchestra of the Music Makers.

A Legend in the Flesh

Seeing a living legend perform live in person was such a surreal experience for a sold out crowd at the Esplanade Concert Hall.

Watching Martha Argerich and 3 generations of her family, along with special guests and new blood in the Classical Music World performing together truly brings home the value of music in uniting and bringing people together. 

South Korean pianist and youngest ever Gold Medalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition – Yunchan Lim takes the stage under the watchful eye of living legend Martha Argerich (top left corner).

 

Keeping with her longtime commitment to championing the future of classical music, Argerich triumphantly presented the next generation of young pianists in her festival, including her 14-year-old grandson David Chen, and most notably the newly-crowned Van Cliburn Competition winner Yunchan Lim.

Conductor and pianist Darío Alejandro Ntaca masterfully conducted the Orchestra of the Music Makers for the concert series.

 

Witnessing a Rising Star

Rising Star – 18 year old pianist Yunchan Lim on the C. Bechstein D282.

A very special highlight for the concert series came on closing night, 9th November 2022. Rounding out the festival was a powerful performance of Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto (Piano Concerto No.5 in E-Flat Major) by rising star of the classical piano world Yunchan Lim.

Lim played on a superb instrument, a C. Bechstein D282 Concert Grand Piano generously provided by Bechstein Music World Singapore

One with the Orchestra – pianist Yunchan Lim fully immerses himself into the music with the Orchestra of the Music Makers.

Yunchan Lim has become known for his unique approach to interpreting and immersing himself in the music. Because of this vision, Lim truly brought the grandeur of the Emperor Concerto to life, expertly melding and weaving in with the orchestra. In an interview after the Cliburn Competition Final, he said, “While (I was) playing, I first opened my heart to the orchestra members, and they tuned in to me.” This was indeed evidenced in his performance on closing night at the Martha Argerich and Friends series. Absolutely a musician living for the music, and thus a treasure to the world. We are so excited to see where his budding career in Classical Music takes him.

Kudos and congratulations are in order for Altenburg Arts efforts in organising this spectacular festival – truly one to be remembered in the years to come!

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