Pianist Son Minsoo Released Bach Album
The New England Conservatory professor has launched a new recording of Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Classical
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Pianist Son Minsoo has released an album featuring Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier through Hyperion Records. The 50-year-old musician's latest work follows his recovery from a wrist injury and pays tribute to his late mentors.
Why it matters
The release highlights Son's artistic resilience after he spent three years practicing exclusively with his left hand following a wrist fracture in 2008. His pedagogical influence continues through students like Lim Yun-chan.
The album features the 24 pieces composing Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier. Son Minsoo is set to embark on a series of 10 solo recitals across South Korea.
The players
Son Minsoo
He is a 50-year-old pianist and professor at the New England Conservatory.
Lim Yun-chan
He is a 22-year-old pianist and a student of Son Minsoo who began studying with him at age 13.
Russell Sherman
He was a late mentor to Son Minsoo and a prominent pianist who provided musical scores.
The details
Son Minsoo inherited the musical scores used for his development from his late mentor, Russell Sherman, and dedicated this new recording to Sherman and Hwang Hwa-kyung. He remains active as a professor at the New England Conservatory while continuing his international performing career.
Timeline
December 31, 2008: Son Minsoo fractured his right wrist.
February 2026: Lim Yun-chan released an album of the Goldberg Variations.
October 27, 2026: Son Minsoo performs at the Seoul Arts Center.
November 18, 2026: Son Minsoo performs at Carnegie Hall.
The Big Picture
This album release serves as a culmination of the recovery process following the 2008 wrist injury, which forced the pianist to adapt his technical approach. The project underscores the legacy of classical training passed down through generations of concert pianists.
Listeners can access the new recording through Hyperion Records. Fans may also attend upcoming recitals at the Seoul Arts Center or Carnegie Hall.
The takeaway
Son's career demonstrates how persistent dedication and adaptation can overcome significant physical obstacles in high-level performance. Aspiring musicians can look to his trajectory as a model for maintaining artistic depth over a multi-decade career.
Further reading
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