Pianists Kim Dohyun and Shin Changyong to Perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3
on the Same Day and at the Same Time
Born in 1994 and recognized on the global stage, pianists Kim Dohyun and Shin Changyong will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff's (1873?1943) Piano Concerto No. 3 on the same day, at the same time, but in different locations.
Kim Dohyun will perform with Orchestra The Original at 5 p.m. on the 22nd at Doam Hall, Seoul Art Center in Pyeongchang-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, while Shin Changyong will collaborate with the Gangnam Symphony Orchestra at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu at the same time. Kim Dohyun graduated from Seoul Arts High School and won second place at the 2021 Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition.
The Busoni Competition is a prestigious competition representing Italy. It was established in 1949 to honor Italian pianist Ferruccio Busoni (1866?1924). In its early years, the competition was held annually, but since the 2000s, it has been held every two years.
Shin Changyong graduated from Yewon School and became the first Korean to win the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in 2018. The Gina Bachauer Competition, started in 1976 to honor Greek pianist Gina Bachauer (1913?1976), is held every four years. Bachauer was a student of Rachmaninoff. The Gina Bachauer Competition is considered one of the three major piano competitions in North America, alongside the Van Cliburn and Cleveland competitions.
Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 was composed ahead of his first American tour and demands extremely high technical skill. It is interpreted as a piece Rachmaninoff composed to showcase everything he had to offer in America. With a performance time exceeding 40 minutes, it is the longest among Rachmaninoff's piano concertos, making it physically demanding. Rachmaninoff is known to have said that the Piano Concerto No. 3 was "a work specially composed for America."
Originally, Rachmaninoff dedicated this piece to his friend, pianist Josef Hofmann. However, Hofmann, who had small hands, refused to perform the piece, saying it was not suitable for him. Rachmaninoff was tall, standing 198 cm, and had notably large hands, with a span exceeding 30 cm from thumb to little finger. It is presumed that the Piano Concerto No. 3, composed to fit Rachmaninoff's hand size, was difficult for Hofmann to play due to his smaller hands.
Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 has also brought many competition victories to Korean pianists. At the 2021 Busoni Competition, where Shin Changyong took second place, Korean pianists swept first and second place; the winner, Park Jaehong, performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in the final round.
Additionally, when Sunwoo Yekwon became the first Korean to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2017, and five years later, when Lim Yunchan became the second Korean to win the same competition, the final performance piece was Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3. Lim Yunchan's final performance gained significant attention on YouTube, recording the highest number of views among videos related to Rachmaninoff's piano concertos.
Classical music critic Heo Myunghyun explained, "In competitions, performers need to showcase their skills to the fullest in a short time, so the technically challenging Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 is often chosen."
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