Seven years later, Yiruma returns to Korea

Pianist Yiruma speaks during a press conference last week for his world tour concerts. [EUGENE ON MUSIC]

Yiruma, the widely acclaimed pianist known for songs like “River Flows in You” (2001) and “Kiss The Rain” (2003), has not performed in his home country for seven years. Now that the pianist has embarked on a world tour, he's finally found the perfect opportunity for a grand comeback in Korea.

“It took longer than expected, as my performance was canceled during the pandemic, and even after, I wanted to make sure to practice more and gear myself up,” the 45-year-old pianist, whose real name is Lee Ru-ma, said during a news conference last week.

The Seoul tour date is set for Jan. 7, 2024, at 5 p.m. at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts’ Grand Theater in Jongno District, central Seoul.

The tour will make its way through Oceania before that show, stopping in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland through November and December. After Seoul, Yiruma will travel to other Asian cities and then to Europe throughout next year.

The Korean performance is titled “A Winter that Resembles Spring.”

“It refers to the spring days in each of our hearts, and I also imagined how the snowflakes in the winter can resemble cherry blossoms sometimes,” Yiruma said.

The pianist will perform songs from his latest EP “non è la fine,” which is Italian for “There is no end,” and was released in May. He will also play never-before-seen rearranged versions of his best-known tracks, “River Flows in You” and “Kiss the Rain.”

While Yiruma spent his childhood in London and found much fame overseas, his priority as a musician is still to gain recognition in Korea.

“I think that in order to be accepted anywhere, I need to be accepted in Korea first, which is why the upcoming Korean concert is important to me,” Yiruma said.

But that doesn’t mean that he is not looking forward to the rest of the tour. He still calls London his “second hometown.”

“A lot of my songs were inspired by my time there as a student,” Yiruma said. “Those experiences have been covered in my albums. I hope to write more songs when I visit again.”

Yiruma debuted in 2001 and has composed more than 200 songs. His previous concerts at the Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York as well as the Sydney Opera House in the late 2010s sold out.

Even during the pandemic, when artist was unable to hold offline concerts, his 2011 album “The Best: Reminiscent, 10th Anniversary” topped Billboard's Classical Albums chart for 23 weeks of 2020.

Yiruma hopes his songs are like “background music” in people’s lives, in that everyone can draw their own memories from them.

“I call my performances a memory trip,” he said. “My music is only complete when it’s combined with the listeners’ stories. I wish everyone will be able to cherish their own seasons with my songs.”

Tickets for Yiruma’s Seoul concert are available by calling the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts (02-399-1000) or Interpark Ticket (1544-1555). Prices range from 77,000 won ($58) to 132,000 won.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]