In Austria, she is praised for her Mozart interpretations, and pianist Yeol Eum Son does not go unnoticed outside the country either. The South Korean has not yet often been heard in the Netherlands, but that is about to change now that she is artist in residence at the Residentie Orkest. 'After many short-lived relationships, I am happy to enter into this long-term commitment.'

It is the first time for Yeol Eum Son to commit to a company as artist in residence. The prize winner of the prestigious Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow is expecting a lot from the residency. "This role gives me a chance to show several faces of myself. And I meet the audience several times, allowing more time for in-depth conversation.'

Every angle a different look
Actually, Yeol Eum was supposed to be our artist in residence as early as season 2020-2021. Due to the pandemic, she was unable - despite several attempts - to rehearse and perform a program. However, she was finally able to admire Amare last October: "It is a very welcoming and atmospheric space with extraordinary details. I was there for a photo shoot and every corner had a different look. As a result, we took many more pictures than expected, and each one was different from the one before.' Unfortunately, Yeol Eum was unable to try out the acoustics herself. 'There was a rehearsal going on, so grabbing the piano was out of the question. But from what I could hear, it sounded excellent!"

Concerts with great musicians
During her residency, Yeol Eum can be heard in piano concertos by Mozart, Saint-Saëns and Ravel, among others. She shares the stage with conductors Anja Bihlmaier, Andrew Grams and Pablo González, with whom the pianist has worked before. "Pablo is an amazing musician. He works in great detail and is prepared to perfection. For me as a soloist this is pleasant, because he lets the orchestra follow well. She hadn't worked with Anja before. 'I keep hearing great things about Anja and can't wait to meet her and make great music together.'

Child prodigy
Yeol Eum was 20 when she left South Korea to study in Hanover with renowned piano pedagogue Arie Vardi. In her native country, as a former child prodigy, she was now a much sought-after concert pianist. 'In the West nobody knew me, so I had to start all over again. The only way to get concerts was to enter lots of competitions.'

The fact that she won so many prizes in the process still amazes her. In addition to a double second prize at the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in 2011, in 2009 she won second prize at the Van Cliburn Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. 'You just don't expect your name to be called. I think my strength is that I feel at home on a stage and enjoy communicating with the audience.'

Her strategy worked; Yeol Eum has no shortage of performances. She performed with top orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic under conductor Lorin Maazel, is acclaimed for her Mozart interpretations and has been artistic director of the Korean Music Festival Music in PyeongChang for two years.

Music lessons
To this day, Yeol Eum is grateful that she found her great love at an early age. Like most children in South Korea, she received music lessons from the age of three. "I fell in love instantly when I first touched the keys. I would sit at the piano for hours and when I wasn't playing myself, I would listen to piano music. Actually a lot more than I do now," she admits with a laugh. When asked if her parents required her to study a lot, she answers firmly, "Fortunately not, because then I would have stopped playing the piano quickly.