LONDON (Yonhap) -- Korea's award-winning pianist Cho Seong-jin said it was an honor to record an album with the London Symphony Orchestra, one of the world’s most celebrated orchestras.
The 21-year-old prodigy recorded his first studio album at London's Abbey Road Studios on June 11-12 under an exclusive contract with the global record label Deutsche Grammophon.
He performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the orchestra led by the Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda there. The album is scheduled to come out in November, two months after he finishes recording Chopin’s four ballades.
“I was really nervous because this was my first time to record a studio album. But it was interesting and was a good experience.
It’s an honor to do it with the London Symphony. I also was pleased to work with Noseda,” he told reporters after the recording.
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Pianist Cho Seong-jin (Official Facebook) |
For the album, the winner of last year’s prestigious International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Poland repeatedly played the 40-minute concerto for nine hours during the two days.
“I played it the same way I usually do,” he said, adding that the difference was he had to repeat the same movement again and again. “Another thing is that there was no audience. But I just tried to think there’s an audience before me while recording.”
Cho chose the five masterpieces to play after Deutsche Grammophon offered him the opportunity to make a Chopin album.
“All of them are my favorite pieces. Furthermore, Piano Concerto No. 1 means so much to me because I played it in the final of the International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition.”
Cho is scheduled to perform about 70 times in the United States, Europe and Asia in the 2016-2017 season that lasts till July next year. He also has concert schedules up till June 2018.
“Since winning the competition, I have gotten many chances to perform, and I perform feeling thankful every time.”
Questioned what type of musician he wants to be in the future, Cho said he will continue to make efforts to reach a level that can satisfy himself and wants to be an “artistic” pianist.
“I don't have any particular role model,” he said. “I just want to be an artistic pianist.”
