Opening the door: a journey to Sungbin's Debut Album

Recording a Debut Album is both an arrival and a beginning. For classical guitarist Sungbin Cho, it wasn’t just about capturing polished performances—it was about opening a door to his inner world to invite listeners in and opening the door to take his first step out into the world. The recording of the first album is both a culmination of years of practice and a bold step forward, offering a glimpse into who he is not only as a musician, but as a storyteller through sound.

In this blog, we will share the process and the story behind bringing Sungbin's musical vision to life.

The idea for the album had been forming quietly over time. Rather than rushing into a recording, Sungbin waited until the right moment—when the music felt lived-in, and his interpretations felt honest. The pieces he chose weren’t just technical showcases; they were works that had shaped him, challenged him, and stayed with him through different phases of his musical life. Each selection became a chapter in a larger narrative he was ready to share. Sungbin states that the time upleading to the recording was "a personal exploration of musical expression" built on a solid foundation of confidence in craftsmanship. After refining the technical and structural elements of a piece, Sungbin turns his focus to shaping a personal interpretation—one that reflects his emotional connection and gives each work a distinct, individual voice.

Sungbin was eager to work with a recording engineer who shared his belief that a debut album should strike a careful balance between musical precision and personal storytelling. That vision came to life when he had the opportunity to work with the legendary John Taylor, renowned for his recordings with world-class artists such as David Russell. What made the collaboration especially meaningful was John's shared philosophy: that recordings shouldn’t strive for artificial, error-free perfection, but should instead preserve the raw emotion and human honesty behind the performance. John’s commitment to this approach is reflected in his traditional recording methods, which prioritize natural acoustics and an authentic capture of the artist’s playing voice. John's idea for Sungbin's debut album recording was to "capture the sound as it is, in a location that is good to play and interfere with it as little as possible, so it sounds like a real performance in a real space", in which Sungbin happily agreed to, describing this project as a collaboration of two artists.

For Sungbin, working with John was not only an artistic alignment, but a personal milestone. He says that back in his student days at the Royal Academy of Music, he and his classmates would often joke, half-dreaming, half-laughing: “Imagine if one day we got to record with John Taylor?” And yet, here he was, guitar in hand, recording with the John Taylor—a dream that had quietly and powerfully come true. Little did Sungbin know at the time, John had already taken notice of him. He first saw Sungbin perform at the London International Guitar Competition, where Sungbin’s musicality and technical brilliance were immediately apparent, leading him to win first place. But what truly stuck with John wasn’t just the playing—it was the presence. Reflecting on that first encounter, John recalled: “Sungbin had such a big, bright smile walking onto the stage. You could tell he wanted to perform, and was happy just to be sharing his music with the audience. Unlike some other contestants, Sungbin just looked so happy to be there.” That genuine joy left a lasting impression. Time passed, and when Sungbin eventually had the chance to speak with John in a different context, John remembered him clearly—not just for his playing, but for that moment of warmth and spirit on stage. It had planted a seed of interest, and left the door open for what would one day become a meaningful and memorable collaboration; Sungbin's Debut Album recording.

The recording was done in the small village of Weston in North Hertfordshire, which John had recommended as being ideal to putting to life the vision that he and Sungbin shared. The acoustics of the location were particulary beautiful, making Sungbin's playing warm and real, something that he is excited to get across to you when the album is published. Each day was dedicated to different pieces, allowing Sungbin to fully immerse himself in the music. The calm, focused environment helped him translate his emotions into sound with a freedom and clarity that John’s approach encouraged. If you’d like to see more of the process, you can get a glimpse of those recording days through photos and behind-the-scenes moments on Sungbin’s official Instagram.

As the final recording session came to a close, both Sungbin and John were pleased with the past few days. The collaboration had been smooth, and the recording captured the musicality and emotion they had hoped for. With the sessions wrapped up, there was a sense of accomplishment, and both were excited about the next steps. They felt confident in what they had created together and were eager to move forward with the release, looking forward to sharing the album with listeners.

With the recording now complete, we find ourselves at the next stage of the debut album journey. The hard work and collaboration have paid off, and we’re excited to share the process as we move towards publishing Sungbin’s debut album. There’s still much to come, and we look forward to keeping you updated as we bring this project to life and share it with the world.

Thank you for reading! Be sure to look out for the next blog post, where we’ll dive into another chapter of Sungbin’s musical journey. Stay tuned as we continue to share the story behind the debut album and all the exciting developments ahead!