Franz Schubert - Piano Sonatas Nos. 13, 14, 18 & 20 (Kun-Woo Paik)

Information

Composer: Franz Schubert

• Piano Sonata No. 13 in A Major, D. 664
• Piano Sonata No. 18 in G Major, D. 894
• Piano Sonata No. 14 in A Minor, D. 784
• Piano Sonata No. 20 in A Major, D. 959

Kun-Woo Paik, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Universal Music

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South Korean pianist Kun-Woo Paik celebrates his 80th birthday and the 70th anniversary of his debut with a new two-disc album dedicated to Franz Franz Schubert. Released worldwide on March 26, 2026, via Universal Music, the album features Sonatas Nos. 13, 14, 18, and 20, reflecting both Schubert’s artistic development and Paik’s personal journey as a pianist. Revisiting Sonata No. 20 after many years, Paik emphasizes listening over intervention, allowing the music to “sing by itself.” This marks his first Schubert recording in 13 years, following his 2013 album of Impromptus, Klavierstücke, and Moments Musicaux.

Kun-Woo Paik, born in Seoul in 1946, is widely regarded as one of the leading pianists of his generation. A child prodigy, he debuted at age ten performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto and later studied at the Juilliard School with Rosina Lhevinne and in London with Ilona Kabos. Paik has won the Naumburg Award and the Busoni International Piano Competition Gold Medal, and his international career includes performances at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Berlin Philharmonie. He has collaborated with renowned conductors and orchestras worldwide and recorded extensive repertoires, including Beethoven’s 32 sonatas, Prokofiev concerti, and complete works by Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov, Chopin, and Fauré. Paik resides in Paris and serves as Artistic Director of the Emerald Coast Music Festival.