Enjoy new music with our classical music chart for this week. Our weekly selections are based on sales numbers and simply what albums we love and think you NEED to hear.
For the complete top 20, tune into Classical Chartz with the New Classical FM’s Mark Wigmore every Saturday from 3-5 p.m.
South Korean superstar Yunchan Lim continues to claim the top position in the Classical Chartz this week. It’s hard to believe he only rose to international fame about two years ago with his stunning win at the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition – a prize he snagged at the age of 18.
Born in Siheung, he began his formal piano studies at the age of seven. By the age of 13, his talent was recognized, and he was accepted into the National Institute for the Gifted in Arts. After studying there for about a year, in 2018 he entered his first competitions, and won the Chopin Special Award in the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists.
The young artist clearly has an affinity for Chopin that he’s put into his recording of the Etudes.
Just under him, though, Karina Gauvin lands at No. 2, up from No. 6 last week, with Marie Hubert — Fille du Roy, as John Williams & Saito Kinen Orchestra drop to No. 3 to make room.
There are two new releases on this Classical Chartz Top Ten this week. Bridgerton Season 3: Covers from the Series makes its debut on the Classical Chartz at No. 4.
The Bridgerton series on Netflix has proven to be a massive success. Set during the Regency era of English history, it follows a set of siblings as they try to navigate their way through society and find love. Along with the story, fans have fallen in love with the music, which has featured classical and neoclassical pieces, as well as orchestral arrangements of pop songs, from season 1. Composer Kris Bowers is the orchestral arranger.
This season’s compilation follows the trend of performing current pop songs as instrumentals with orchestral arrangements. Songs by superstars Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift are on the list, along with many others you wouldn’t necessarily consider for this kind of treatment.
Yuja Wang and The Vienna Recital climb from No. 13 last week to hit the Top Ten at No. 9. The recording was captured live at the Vienna Konzerthaus in April 2022. It features an eclectic repertoire that showcase Yuja’s dazzling technique, including works by Albéniz, Beethoven, Ligeti and Scriabin. As she comments in the liner notes, “I believe that every program should have its own life and reflect my current feelings.”
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