Pianist, 18, From South Korea Wins Van Cliburn Competition

Yunchan Lim of South Korea performs a concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Chairman of the Jury Marin Alsop in the final round of the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 12, 2022. (Richard Rodriguez/The Cliburn via AP)

FORT WORTH, Texas—An 18-year-old from South Korea has won the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, one of the top showcases for the world’s best pianists.

The competition held in Fort Worth, Texas, ended Saturday night with Yunchan Lim becoming the competition’s youngest winner of the gold medal. His winnings include a cash award of $100,000 and three years of career management.

The silver medalist was Anna Geniushene, a 31-year-old from Russia, and the bronze medalist was Dmytro Choni, a 28-year-old from Ukraine.

(L–R) The winners of the 16th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, silver medalist Anne Geniushene from Russia, gold medalist Yunchan Lim from South Korea, and bronze medalist Dmytro Choni from Ukraine, pose for a group photo following the final concerts at the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 18, 2022. (Ralph Lauer/The Cliburn via AP)

Lim told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he'll discuss with his teacher what the next move for his career should be.

“I am still a student and I feel like I have to learn a lot still,” Lim said. “This is a great competition and I feel the burden of receiving this great honor and award so I will just push myself to live up to the honor I received today.”

The competition was founded in 1962 in honor of the celebrated pianist Van Cliburn, who lived in Fort Worth. Cliburn, who died in 2013 at age 78, played for U.S. presidents, royalty, and heads of state around the world. He is best remembered for winning the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1958, at the height of the Cold War.

The competition is traditionally held every four years. This year’s competition was originally scheduled for last year but was postponed due to the pandemic.