Pianist Yunchan Lim’s Chopin Études Named Most Popular on Apple Music Classical

Lim’s album of Chopin Études is revealed as this year’s most listened album on the Apple Music Classical app

Apple Music Classical Global Ambassador, pianist Yunchan Lim’s album of Chopin Études on Decca Classics has been named the most popular album in 2024 on the Apple Music Classical app.

This album has held a consistent presence on the Apple Classical chart since its release earlier this year and achieved triple platinum status in South Korea.

At age 18, Lim became the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022. The video of his rendition of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 at the competition trended globally on YouTube, reaching over 15 million views.

He has since made orchestral debuts with the New York, Los Angeles, Munich, and Seoul Philharmonic orchestras, plus the Chicago, Lucerne, BBC, Boston, and Tokyo Symphony orchestras, among others. His recital appearances include performances at Carnegie Hall, Verbier Festival, Wigmore Hall, Het Concertgebouw, Suntory Hall, and more. 

Four of the top five albums on Apple Music Classical feature the piano. After Lim, the following four most popular albums on Apple Music Classical in 2024 are Max Richter’s “Sleep”; Lang Lang, Gina Alice, Gewandhausorchester, and Andris Nelsons’ “Saint-Saëns”; Mao Fujita’s “72 Preludes”; and Stephan Moccio’s “Legends, Myths and Lavender.”

“By providing a truly global platform to artists, Apple Music Classical — the world's most popular classical music app — has transformed how listeners around the world access great artists and their recordings,” said Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, Oliver Schusser in a press release. “The list of most popular albums in 2024 gives fascinating insight into what recordings listeners are engaging with. Congratulations to our Global Ambassador, Yunchan Lim, on the continued success of his Chopin album.”

“I am deeply honored that my latest album is the Top Classical Album of 2024 on Apple Music,” Lim commented. “Interpreting Chopin's Etudes was a rewarding challenge, and I am so grateful that these recordings have resonated worldwide. Thanks to Apple Music Classical for connecting classical music lovers across the globe.”

Apple Music Classical features hundreds of curated playlists, composer biographies, discussion guides for certain pieces, and thousands of exclusive albums, from new releases to old classics. The app is also now available in CarPlay. Other innovations on the app included the launch of the weekly Apple Classical Top 100 chart, which combines five data sources from over 165 countries to form a holistic view of the progress in classical music.