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Yekwon Sunwoo - Rachmaninoff: A Reflection is the WFMT: Featured New Release

Pianist Yekwon Sunwoo, the first Korean winner of the Van Cliburn Competition returned to Rachmaninoff with the release of his new studio album, “Rachmaninoff, A Reflection.” After three years of anticipation, the album was released on September 12, 2023, under Universal Music’s label DECCA.  

Following his 2020 studio album, “Mozart,” this new recording features a repertoire by Rachmaninoff, the composer whose works played a pivotal role in Yekwon Sunwoo’s Van Cliburn victory. The release also coincides with the 150th anniversary of Rachmaninoff’s birth. Yekwon Sunwoo curated the album to include pieces that best represent the composer’s brilliance.  
Yekwon Sunwoo chose six pieces, including Rachmaninoff’s two variations, “Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42,” and “Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Op. 22,” as well as “Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19: III. Andante,” widely appreciated for its romantic melodies. Also included are Kreisler’s Liebesleid, an arrangement personally crafted by Rachmaninoff himself, and “Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2,” known as “The Bells of Moscow.” While the album is quoting the music of various composers, it beautifully showcases Rachmaninoff’s distinctive style. 

Reflecting on the Corelli Variations, Sunwoo shared, “I was 18 when I started learning this piece. The music conveys feelings of distance, loneliness, yearning, and hopefulness. Yet the emotions are channeled through Rachmaninoff’s strong sense of form. From the opening theme to the very end, everything moves in a single breath, and the way that his rhythm builds is both complex and electrifying.” 

Regarding the Chopin Variations, which are less frequently performed, Sunwoo noted, “Perhaps it’s because they are longer than the Corelli Variations and not so compact.” He added, “Remember that Rachmaninoff was an amazing pianist, and he basically wrote the Chopin Variations to suit his own technique, especially his enormous reach. Somehow, I found the piano writing to be naturally suited to my hands. And once I mastered the notes, the rich variety of character from one variation to the next began to emerge.” 

Speaking about studio recording versus live performances, Sunwoo explained, “I can let go more in concerts while I want to be perfect in the studio. Because I can start and stop in the studio for different approaches, if needed, there is a kind of freedom.” Tracklist is as follows

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
1 – 23 Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)
24 Liebesleid (Arr. Rachmaninoff for Piano)
Sergei Rachmaninoff
25 Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 3 No. 2
26 Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 19: III. Andante (Transcr. Volodos for Piano) 
27 Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23 No. 5 
28 – 37 Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Op. 22


For October 20, 2023, Yekwon Sunwoo - Rachmaninoff: A Reflection is the WFMT: Chicago ‘Featured New Release.' WFMT writes….Pianist Yekwon Sunwoo, the winner of the Van Cliburn Competition in 2017, is returning to the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff with the release of a new album. The recording features repertoire by a composer whose works played a pivotal role in his Van Cliburn victory. Yekwon curated the album to include pieces that best represent the composer’s brilliance. He chose six works, including Rachmaninoff’s two sets of variations: Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42, and Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Op. 22.


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