One of the most anticipated classical concerts of the season took place at the Seoul Arts Center on Tuesday evening.

In the last of three performances in Korea before moving on to the Verbier Festival in Switzerland later this month, pianist Sohn Min-soo, 49, and his pupil Lim Yunchan shared the stage ― an occasion that affirmed what the 21-year-old has often attested to in interviews: the deep influence of his teacher.

From the moment the lights dimmed, the audience was ready to be transported. So eager, in fact, that many hurried to clear their throats before the performance began. The oddly synchronized chorus of coughing triggered a brief ripple of laughter ― a shared understanding to embrace the silence that would follow.

And why should they not be so bristling with anticipation? Since rising to fame, Lim has exceeded every expectation with his solo recitals, collaborations and chart-topping albums. Yet this particular evening was not just about technical brilliance; it was about a conversation between two artists who know each other intimately.

Their journey together began in 2017 at the Korea National Institute for Gifted in Arts, under the Korean National University of Arts, and continued at the country's top art school. In 2023, Lim followed Sohn to the New England Conservatory.

The two pianists sat side by side, each in front of a Steinway & Sons piano. Facing opposite directions, their eyes could meet with a simple leftward turn of the head.

For the first half of the performance, the duo performed Brahms' sonata for two pianos in F minor, Op. 34b, with the professor seated at the first piano, positioned at the front of the stage. Brahms originally wrote the piece as a quintet for a piano and string quartet, but later reworked it into a sonata for two pianos.

"This piece carries Clara Schumann and Brahms' deep friendship, wistful connection and mutual respect," Sohn explained in a recent interview.

Echoing that spirit, the duo’s 50-minute performance reflected their own deep connection and mutual respect, culminating in Lim’s last moment of eye contact with Sohn and a single drop of perspiration falling from his chin.

Returning to the stage after an intermission, the duo filled the concert hall with more energy as they performed Rachmaninoff’s "Symphonic Dances," this time Lim taking the first piano.

It was a piece they had listened to together many times, often sharing their amazement and engaging in long conversations about a historic recording of Rachmaninoff himself improvising at the piano before conductor Eugene Ormandy.

Through this electrifying score, Sohn and Lim continued their musical dialogue once more, but now in a more dynamic, sharply contrasted language that vividly showcased their shared intensity and individuality.

Lim’s gestures were expressive and expansive ― his foot tapping nearly twice as much as Sohn’s, his body swaying with intensity. Sohn, on the other hand, was more contained, more grounded. Yet despite these stylistic differences, they produced a remarkably unified sound: finely balanced, intuitive and breathing as one.

The duo concluded their recital, under the banner of “Hyundai Card Culture Project 30: Sohn Min-soo & Lim Yunchan” as the latest installment in Hyundai Card’s Culture Project series, with Strauss’ "Der Rosenkavalier," or "The Knight of the Rose."

It was first introduced to Sohn by his teacher, Russell Sherman, and later shared with Lim, becoming meaningful for them both.

The two-piano arrangement they performed was written by young composer Lee Hanurij, a student at the Korean National University of Arts and winner of the 2024 Bartok World Composition Competition. The composer was even described by Lim as “a musician chosen by God."

Lee, who noted in a recent interview that he writes his music as if the world’s best performer will be playing it, reimagined Strauss’s grandeur and rich orchestral colors within a two-piano setting, maximing complex harmonies, dramatic structure and expansive use of the keyboard.

As the final notes faded, the audience rose in near-unison in a standing ovation, their applause echoing the emotional weight of the performance. For the encore, the duo performed the “Quick Waltz” from "Der Rosenkavalier Suite" once again.

Covered in perspiration, they lifted their hands in thanks to the crowd.