Sunwoo spent the past few months on a whirlwind tour, performing for audiences eager to hear why he captivated the judges at the famous competition. But he took time out before a concert in Boulder to visit the CPR Performance Studio for a session.
Sunwoo showed off his sensitive playing when he performed two pieces by romantic composers: Franz Liszt and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
The pianist highlighted all of the gorgeous, placid moments in Liszt’s Consolation No. 3. Watch it in the video above.
Sunwoo also recorded a captivating take on Tchaikovsky’s “October: Autumn Song,” from the composer’s solo piano cycle “The Seasons.” The music sounds delicate and somber:
The pianist told CPR Classical's Karla Walker he tends to favor lyrical, Romantic pieces in which he can make the piano sing.
"The piano is a percussive instrument so it's difficult to naturally sing with the piano," he said. "But we try to imagine as if we were singing, and try to match that with the piano."
Sunwoo’s Cliburn tour will continue well into 2018, with dates throughout the U.S., Europe and South Korea. But there are no additional Colorado concerts on the schedule so far, so treat yourself to the studio footage from this session.
More exclusive music from the CPR Performance Studio:
