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Concert/Recording Reviews
[CD] Hieyon Choi’s Beethoven Sonata Cycle
She’s especially persuasive in the early sonatas. Her Op. 2 No. 1 Allegro may lack the unbuttoned fantasy of Schnabel, Pollini and Kovacevich, yet her contrapuntal awareness and strong left hand presence compensate, as do the finale’s hair-trigger precision. Op. 2 No. 2 is a model of lightness and witty inflection, while Op. 2 No. 3’s finale fuses scurrying brio and harmonic tension. In Op. 10 No. 1’s finale, Choi takes Beethoven’s optimistic Prestissimo directive at his word, while her sophisticated scaling of dynamics and pinpointed timing of chords and silences left me awestruck: this is one of Op. 10 No. 1’s greatest recorded performances. Op. 10 No. 3’s outer movements have similar effortlessness and specificity of detail, although one misses the breadth and timeless aura that others bring to the Largo, like Arrau, Hungerford, and Horowitz.
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Whatever individual reservations I harbor over certain items, Hieyon Choi’s Beethoven certainly has much to offer, and I know that I’ll return to many of her performances with pleasure, especially in the early sonatas.
_ Jed Distler [Classics Today] 2025
HieYon Choi Recital – Bach Goldberg Variations
……Variation 25 was the highlight of the day—her personal best—a culmination of Bach’s uniquely Romantic (paradoxical though that may sound) and deeply sentimental writing. Alongside the first variation and the final Aria, this was where Choi’s lyricism truly blossomed. The sighing motifs, the exquisite chromaticism, the constantly shifting modulations and the subtle changes in color were handled with seasoned clarity. Her mature artistry shone especially in the complex middle section in E-flat minor, which she unraveled with patience and poise.
Then came the sprint of Variation 26, the canon in ninths of Variation 27 (bringing to mind counterpoint classes from her student days), the trills of Variation 28, and the harmonies of Variation 29—by then, the music was no longer purely Baroque, but foreshadowing the Classical era, even glimpses of Beethoven…..
_ Young-Won Sung [Monthly Review] 12/2023
Beethoven’s sonatas, rhythmic and full of energy
Diverse sound register
Theme unfolds
The pianist plays the tender Arietta from Beethoven’s last sonata movement rather “semplice” and less expressively. In the variations that follow, however, she unfolds this theme with increasing intensity. With the concise rhythmic dotting and the consistently sustained syncopation, the theme of the Arietta undergoes a transformation that increases in the trills and cascades of sound to the point of transcendence, before at the end the composer’s “reunion” sounds several times as a farewell call in the characteristic downward dotted fourth. The audience’s prolonged silence was the best applause for this deeply moving performance.”
_ Christoph Keller [Nordwest Zeiting] 07/2022
“…The powerful dynamic, especially in the final movement, made the audience rise above themselves…. The performer closed the New Year’s concert of The House Concert with absolute overwhelming coda of the Appassionata. And she gave us all in the hall, the energy, courage, and hope to live the year 2022 vigorously... It will need quite a long time till the echo of this concert would diminish.”
_ Jin-Suk Kim [Music Journal] 02/2022
[CD] Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos. 18, 26, 27, 30 – HieYon Choi
“… already from the beginning of Op. 31 No. 3 you realize: Choi is more than just at home with the linguistic ductus of this music. She understands this music, reconstruct it and by doing so she can form lots of details to a big entirety. – the biggest challenge for Sonatas. She can subtly untangle Beethoven’s linear work, the deliberate confusion in elaboration of theme for the listener, fill them with life, let them become comprehensible. At the same time her way of playing is connected with magnificent sense of sound, never exaggerate the tempos, (marvelous pacing in Op. 90, the 2nd mvt.!) the dynamic, even the hard accents and eruptions sound mellifluous, without losing their meanings. In op. 81a she traces the pain of statement so convincingly that one could understand the emotions which is transformed in this music. And also, the Op. 109 which is hardly leading to comprehensible flow, she succeeds excellent! What a shame that this CD is released only at Decca Korea.”
_ Carsten Dürrer [PIANO NEWS] Vol.03/2019
[CD] Get to you the “Viennese Feeling”, Beethoven Sonatas
New Album of Pianist HieYon Choi | Performed on ‘Boesendorfer’ born in 1828…Deep and Elegant Sound | Contrast to Brilliant Tone Color of ‘Steinway’
“A Beethoven recording which you’d want to keep next to you for long time; an album of Beethoven Sonata No. 18, 26, 27, 30, performed by HieYon Choi (Professor Seoul National University), released by Decca label. A selection of calm and intimate character. A flowing and elegant connections, architecture of an intelligence and without any vanity; it feels like an intimate talk with a thoughtful friend. The abundant acoustic which makes one feel listening to it in a proper-sized living room adds to a perfection of this recording….”
_ Yoon-Jong Yoo [DONG-A DAILY] 01/2019
Beethoven captivated in Bagband
“…Her appearance was the „AWESOME”– in the true sense of the word itself….”
_ Karen Hochmuth [Ostfriesische Nachrichten] 07/2017
As if Beethoven Himself Sitting at the Piano
“… Eyes closed; you would believe that the honorable composer himself would have sat at the piano.….”
_ Ina Wagner [Emder Zeitung] 08/2015
A Wild Fury over All Keys | Spectacular Experience of Highest Art of Piano
_ Roland Moll [Ostfriesischer Kurier] 08/2015
Radiant Happiness after Perfect Presentation
“…The magical, almost elegiac parts were contrasted with the thundering fortissimo in orchestral sense which seemed to quake the church walls.….”
_ Roland Moll [Ostfriesen-Zeitung] 07/2009
Petitessen and Reger’s Opus Magnum
“…her strong suit lies no doubt in the virtuosic passages which she mastered with impressive technique powerful and leap-sure, but also with insight for the inner thematic structure… ”
_ Andrea Prölss [Der neue Tag] Oberpfalz, 08/2007
Adamant rhythm with intensity, explosive and passionate touch
“…HieYon Choi possesses rigorous craftsmanship to offer a stage of the highest quality… Her pure approach towards music is the strongest power to win over the audience…”
_ Sang-Woo Han [Monthly Joy Classic] 05/2002
“… full of freshness and spontaneity who incidentally drew us to the spirit of Clara Haskil,….”
_ Aime Corbaz [Le Matin] 09/1997
Examination in marks of Mozart
“..The realization of Mozart A Major Concerto KV 488 by Hie-Yon Choi: a high-spirited, full of sentiment, eloquent up to every detail and precisely formulated interpretation, in the sovereign and at the same time reserved manner (as if perceived the spirituality of young Clara Haskil itself), besides without any perfectionistic attitude…”
_ Hans-Klaus Jungenheinrich [Frankfurter Rundschau] 09/1997
“….The climax was Skriabin’s 5th Sonata. Hie-Yon Choi entered into another world as she created a magical tone color on the piano.”
_ hell [Neue Rheinische Zeitung] 10/1996
“…It was overwhelming how this Korean held the audience under her spell with her maturity and diversity of interpretation. Hie-Yon Choi possesses faultless technique, sparking ease and fascinating virtuosity….”
_ Daniela Goebel [Darmstädter Echo] 01/1995
14th International Piano Competition
“..Hie-Yon Choi, the south Korean, possessed a temperament of fire, full of power and character, which entirely seduced the audience…”
_ M.-H.C. [Liberte de l’est] 03/1993
Kapell Finalists’ Choice Music
“…A brisk reading of Beethoven’s B-Flat Sonata, Op. 22, and Ravel’s “Gaspard de la Nuit” showed Choi capable of flexible, supple playing. She had lovely rich tone, with some beautiful shading….”
_ Kate Rivers [The Washington Post] 07/1992