Yeol Eum Son Essentials

Armed with jaw-dropping technical skills and a poetic soul, Yeol Eum Son makes the tricky business of playing piano seem as natural as breathing. Her pianism flows from a rare blend of astounding accuracy, expressive spontaneity, and heartfelt lyricism. Listen to the way she colors the changing moods of Ravel’s Piano Concerto, stepping forward as peacock-proud soloist one minute before becoming chamber music partner the next, or her joyful response to Kapustin’s jazzy Concert Etudes. Son’s artistry is fully alive to the emotional exuberance of Schumann’s Kreisleriana and Fantasy in C. She’s equally compelling in Mozart, striking the ideal balance of light and shade in the sublime slow movement of his Piano Concerto No. 21 and cultivating the yearning intensity of his Fantasy in C Minor. And her fingers play the part of full symphony orchestra in La valse to create a towering performance of Ravel’s “choreographic poem.”