Yunchan Lim and the 2022 Cliburn Competition

The Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, initially scheduled for 2021, was delayed by one year — but proved itself more than worth the wait! Following four rounds of extraordinary virtuosity, thirty international talents were narrowed down to six for a spectacularly grand finale, with jury chair Marin Alsop leading the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in concerto action.

All the finalists, including silver medalist Anna Geniushene and bronze medalist Dmytro Choni, put on a jaw-dropping display of pianism — but in the end, it was the very youngest competitor who ran away with the gold. Across all four rounds, Yunchan Lim — who, at just 18, would have been too young to enter the competition if it had been held as planned in 2021 — showed a level of superhuman precision and preternatural maturity that sent shockwaves through the worldwide music community. His full set of Liszt's 12 Transcendental Etudes made headlines, and his note-perfect reading of the monstrously difficult Rachmaninov Third Concerto brought a tear to Marin Alsop's eye and millions of viewers to marvel at this young virtuoso's once-in-a-generation talent. Yunchan's meteoric rise has shown no signs of slowing, as he has followed his Cliburn win with sold-out recitals and concerts at the world's most prestigious venues. Who will be the next to follow in his footsteps? Watch the 2025 edition on medici.tv to find out, and relive all of Yunchan's 2022 Cliburn performances while you wait!