Pianist Lim Yunchan, cellist Pablo Ferrandez take center stage at 23rd Tongyeong International Music Festival
TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province — The Tongyeong International Music Festival, founded in 2002 to commemorate the late composer Isang Yun, opened Friday in the Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, along the southern coast as wildfires rage on near the city and political turmoil gripped the country.
The annual classical music festival typically includes a slate of fringe performances in smaller or alternative venues across Tongyeong. However, this weekend’s events have been postponed due to a major wildfire in neighboring Sancheong County — the birthplace of Isang Yun. The wildfires began March 21 and were still causing extensive damage in the region as of Friday afternoon.
Renowned composer Chin Unsuk, now in her fourth year as the festival’s artistic director, emphasized, "Many people are suffering due to the wildfire and both domestic and international affairs remain highly complex. With a sense of humility, we plan to carry out the festival."
Explaining the theme “Journey Inwards,” Chin — recipient of the 2024 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize and the 2025 International Classical Music Award for Contemporary Music — said, “In a time when political and economic conflicts are erupting around the world, and everyone is having to endure so much, perhaps listening to music — even if only for a moment — can be a chance to take an inner journey and rediscover something within ourselves.”
Running through April 6, the festival places two rising stars at its center: South Korean pianist Lim Yunchan and Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrandez, both serving as artists-in-residence.
“Even before I took the directorship, many musicians who had been to TIMF recommended it to their fellow artists,” Chin had remarked three years ago, her first year in the role, adding, “TIMF is perhaps more recognized outside Korea.”
While the festival has long been a destination for classical music enthusiasts in Korea, it is drawing broader public attention this year thanks in large part to the soaring popularity of Lim Yunchan, the 20-year-old pianist who became a global sensation after winning the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022.
Tickets for the opening concert — featuring Lim with the TIMF Orchestra under the baton of conductor Fabien Gabel — and Lim’s solo recital sold out within one minute and 58 seconds, respectively.
“After Isang Yun’s music, I believe my mission is to support and foster young musicians from Korea,” Chin said. “That’s why I invited artists like Yang In-mo and Kim Sun-wook in previous years. Thankfully, Lim Yunchan, who considers Tongyeong a place that feels like home, was available to join this year.”
Lim shares a deep connection with the festival: In 2019, he became the youngest winner of Korea’s Isangyun Competition, which is organized by the Tongyeong International Music Foundation.
“Cellist Pablo Ferrandez is an emerging artist who is rapidly gaining recognition,” Chin added. “We invited him this year, and I have high expectations for his performance.”
This year marks both the 30th anniversary of Isang Yun’s passing and the 100th anniversary of Pierre Boulez’s birth, with major works by the two composers featured in the festival program. Composer-in-residence Hans Abrahamsen's works will be also introduced.
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