[Dispatch=Yuha Lee] "Please watch it with the mindset of savoring classical music." (Lee Jun-young)

Piano Four Hands is a classical technique in which two performers play together on a single piano. One takes the higher register (primo) while the other takes the lower register (secondo) to complete a single piece.

Actors Song Kang and Lee Jun-young sat down at the piano. They met as a diligent prodigy and a natural-born genius, respectively. Competing and resonating with each other, they completed a ten-year youth concerto.

The work holds special meaning for both actors. For Song Kang, it is his first return project after military discharge. For Lee Jun-young, it is his last project before enlisting. They prepared with care, paying attention to even minor performance acting.

tvN's new Saturday drama 'Piano Four Hands' (script by Shin Yi-won, directed by Park Hyun-seok) held an online press conference on the 25th. Actors Song Kang, Lee Jun-young, Jang Gyuri, and director Park Hyun-seok attended.

'Piano Four Hands' is a work that depicts the friendship, love, competition, and growth of youth. It contains the story of three youths from age seventeen, when they first meet at an arts high school, to age twenty-seven.

Song Kang plays Kang Bio, a piano prodigy. Since childhood, he is an exceptional talent who swept various competitions. His equilibrium begins to shake when a friend he once lost to reappears.

Song Kang introduced the character: "Bio has a major lack. He wants to receive the attention of his grandfather, a renowned conductor. He is a person who has known only piano his entire life."

He also put effort into the piano acting. Several months before filming, he took lessons to master the fundamentals. Rather than simply pressing keys, he observed the habits and movements of actual pianists.

"I kept watching videos of my lesson teachers' performances. I tried to catch even minor actions. At the same time, I was careful to delicately express the emotions Bio carries."

Lee Jun-young plays Choi Jungyo. He is exposed to Kang Bio's concerto performance at his teacher's insistence. After that, he discovers his talent and transfers to Korean Arts High School's music department.

First, he needed a process to grow closer to classical music. On his days off, Lee Jun-young listened to classical music. Through learning the structure of compositions and the sounds of instruments, he naturally immersed himself in Jungyo's world.

On set, director Park Hyun-seok's feedback was a source of strength. He said, "While looking at the melody line, I checked the moments where acting was needed. The director had memorized the entire piece. He gave direction down to the second."

'Piano Four Hands' is his last project before enlistment. Lee Jun-young revealed his reason for choosing the role: "Jungyo is the character with the most diverse emotions among the roles I've taken so far. I wanted to show that I'm an actor who can pull off this kind of character."

The chemistry between the two also became a source of strength for Song Kang. Song Kang said, "Since it was my first project after discharge, I was nervous from the script reading. He accepted everything well no matter what I did. Throughout filming, I could act comfortably."

Jang Gyuri plays Hong Jaein, a viola major. At solfege, she stands out above all others as someone with perfect pitch. She recognizes Choi Jungyo's hidden genius and leads him to arts high school.

She reflected: "Jaein is a friend who loves music purely. She has bright and bold energy. When Jaein appears, naturally you smile. As an actress and as a person, I wanted to be like her."

The three were themselves the embodiment of youth on set. Director Park Hyun-seok said, "When I saw the three laughing together, it warmed my heart. It was like watching a beautiful picture book. That atmosphere will naturally seep into the work."

There were difficulties unique to 'Piano Four Hands'. Song Kang joked, "There were many scenes where (I and Lee Jun-young) sat on one chair playing piano. We spent a cold winter in a fun and warm way, but the chair was cramped and uncomfortable."

Lee Jun-young recalled that the closeness actually brought the two together faster. He said, "Usually when you work on projects with a lot of action or dialogue, you become close that way. But we had many scenes looking into each other's eyes and resonating. Thanks to that, we were able to shake off awkwardness quickly."

A viewing point is the changing relationship among the three youths. Jang Gyuri explained, "Bio and Jungyo each hold different meaning to Jaein. Bio is a friend she wants to support from the side as they chase their dreams, and Jungyo is a friend whose potential she wants to uncover."

Music is also another protagonist. Classical melodies flow in sync with the characters' emotions and relational changes. Jang Gyuri added, "It's also a viewing point to pay attention to what music flows with which scenes."

Lee Jun-young also focused on the emotions classical music brings. "When you listen to classical music, your heart becomes at peace. Our work is the same," he said, hoping viewers would "watch it with the mindset of listening to and savoring a single piece."

Finally, Song Kang pointed out, "Each character has different emotional arcs. Various instruments appear including piano and viola. If you focus on these two things—the characters' emotions and the music—you'll be able to enjoy it even more."

Meanwhile, 'Piano Four Hands' will broadcast for the first time on the 29th at 9:10 p.m.

<Photos courtesy of tvN>