Last year, pianist Cho Seong-jin caused a sensation when he became the first Korean to win the International Chopin Piano Competition at the age of 21.

Over 90,000 copies of his two live albums were sold in Korea within a month. Classical music experts around the world lauded the “expressive nuance” of Cho’s interpretations. Naturally, Korean parents wondered how he had been educated.

“My parents never pressured me. My mom didn’t even expect I would keep playing the piano. My dad told me to quit whenever I wanted to, up until high school. I think it would be very hard to pursue music when being pressured,” Cho said at a press conference in northeastern Seoul for his new album of Chopin pieces, set for release on Nov. 25.

The album features the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor Op. 11, the piece which nabbed Cho his win; four ballades; and the Nocturne in C-sharp minor Op. posth., Cho’s favorite encore piece, which is included in the deluxe edition as a bonus track.

Though Cho has previously released numerous live recordings, this is his first studio album. Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda led the London Symphony Orchestra in the concerto, stepping in for Korean conductor Chung Myung-whun, who canceled due to health reasons. The ballades were recorded in September in Hamburg’s Friedrich Ebert Halle while the concerto was recorded in June at London’s famed Abbey Road Studio, used by legendary musicians such as the Beatles.

“I saw their posters on the walls. It was exciting and strange for me to be recording there,” Cho said.

One thing the still budding pianist focused on was adding an element of “freshness” in his playing of the concerto, which he performed over 50 times in the past year. But he has yet to tire of the 19th century Polish virtuoso, Cho said.

“Chopin was one of my favorite composers long before I won. ... I first fell in love with him when I heard Krystian Zimerman’s performance as a child,” he said, referring to the renowned Polish pianist. The two keep in touch now, Cho said.

“People ask if I ever get bored with repetition, but it’s more fun for me. I’m able to discover new ideas and see myself improve. And only now am I beginning to feel comfortable with this piece, to understand it. I realized, you need to play something at least 50 times to really understand it.”

Cho has been living in an apartment in Paris for the past three years in between overseas engagements. When asked if he feels that he is missing out on the “normal” life of being young and being in school, the pianist replied that he wouldn’t change anything.

“Most of the people I meet are musicians. To me, I’m living the normal life of a musician. I don’t have any other dreams. I like what I’m doing now and I think I’ll keep liking it.”

His life in France has allowed him time for thought and inspiration, though the country still feels far from home, Cho said. “The city has had a big influence on me. ... The life of a performer is very simple, when I’m not playing. I practice for about three to four hours at home. I live in an apartment, so I can’t practice at night because of the neighbors. When I don’t have any plans, I have dinner at home, go online, watch movies or go out for walks.”

Since the Chopin competition win, however, Cho has been much sought by both friends and the music industry. “I’ve had dinner engagements almost every day since then,” he said.

And when he’s not listening to classical music, Cho said he enjoys songs like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Cho spent three days in the studio to record his upcoming release. The performances that made it onto the album, he explained, were ones he recorded on the last day.

“It was my first time ever recording in a studio, so I had no idea what to expect. We finished recording during the first two days, and the third day I played just to wrap things up. And those recordings sounded much better, when I stopped being nervous and became relaxed. It’s taught me a lot,” he said.

Cho has some 80 recitals lined up in 2017 that will take him to the US, Europe and Asia. He is leaving the country soon for his Nov. 23 performance in Bulgaria, and will be performing at Seoul’s Lotte Concert Hall Jan. 3-4.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)