The Secret of the Piano That Captivated 'Perfectionist' Zimmerman

Performing on the Lotte Concert Hall piano during this year's tour following 2019

Pianist Son Yeol-eum testing the Steinway piano at Lotte Concert Hall, personally selected in Hanover. Photo by Lotte Concert Hall

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Pianist Christian Zimerman will perform on the piano at Lotte Concert Hall during his Korea tour recital.

Zimerman will hold six concerts across four cities, starting at Daegu Concert House on the 25th, followed by Busan Cultural Center on the 27th, Seoul Lotte Concert Hall on March 1, 2, and 6, and Daejeon Arts Center on March 4.

Originally from Poland and known as the pianist's pianist, Zimerman gained worldwide fame by winning the Chopin Competition at the age of 19 in 1975. Despite accepting a 7-day self-quarantine, he is scheduled to arrive on the 17th for this recital. The program includes Bach's Partitas No. 1 and 2, Szymanowski's Mazurkas Nos. 13 to 16, and Chopin's Sonata No. 3.

After expressing satisfaction with the piano at Lotte Concert Hall during a collaboration in 2018, Zimerman also brought the Lotte Concert Hall piano for his 2019 tour performances.

Famous for personally transporting his own piano during recitals, Zimerman plans to install the piano action he owns onto the Lotte Concert Hall piano again this year, following 2019.

Kim Seung-eon, head of stage technology at Lotte Cultural Foundation, stated, "The organizer Mast Media requested to rent the Lotte Concert Hall piano, and the piano will accompany the artist through Daegu, Busan, Seoul, Daejeon, and back to Seoul. We will do our best to maintain the instrument's condition to deliver the best piano sound."

Lotte Concert Hall owns a total of six Steinway pianos: four performance Steinway pianos suitable for solo, collaboration, choir, and jazz performances, and two practice pianos. To maintain the highest quality, they have hired master tuners Lee Jong-yeol and Kim Chang-geun, each with over 30 years of experience, to manage the instruments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.