임동혁은 7세의 나이에 피아노를 시작하여 10세 때 러시아로 이주, 모스크바 국립 음악원에서 수학하였다. 

임동혁이 처음 세상에 알려진 것은 1996년 국제 청소년 쇼팽 콩쿠르 2위에 입상하면서부터였다. 형인 임동민은 1위에, 임동혁은 2위에 나란히 입상하면서 두 형제는 세간의 주목을 받기 시작했다. 2000년, 부조니 콩쿠르와 하마마쓰 콩쿠르에서 입상하고 이듬해 프랑스 롱-티보 콩쿠르에서 1위 수상과 더불어 솔로 리사이틀 상, 오케스트라 상, 프랑스 작곡가 해석 상, 파리음악원 학생 상, 마담 가비파스키에 상 등 5개 상을 휩쓸며 세계적인 주목을 받기 시작했다. 2003년에는 퀸 엘리자베스 콩쿠르에서 편파 판정에 불복, 수상을 거부하며 우리나라뿐 아니라 전세계 클래식계에 핫 이슈를 몰고 왔지만, 2005년 제 15회 국제 쇼팽 콩쿠르에서 3위를 수상하며 그에 관한 일부 우려의 목소리를 잠재웠다. 또한 2007년 6월, 제13회 차이코프스키 국제 콩쿠르 피아노 부분에서 1위 없는 공동 4위를 수상하며 세계 3대 콩쿠르를 석권하는 쾌거를 이루었다. 

임동혁은 7세의 나이에 피아노를 시작하여 10세 때 러시아로 이주, 모스크바 국립 음악원에서 수학하였다. 임동혁이 처음 세상에 알려진 것은 1996년 국제 청소년 쇼팽 콩쿠르 2위에 입상하면서부터였다. 형인 임동민은 1위에, 임동혁은 2위에 나란히 입상하면서 두 형제는 세간의 주목을 받기 시작했다. 2000년, 부조니 콩쿠르와 하마마쓰 콩쿠르에서 입상하고 이듬해 프랑스 롱-티보 콩쿠르에서 1위 수상과 더불어 솔로 리사이틀 상, 오케스트라 상, 프랑스 작곡가 해석 상, 파리음악원 학생 상, 마담 가비파스키에 상 등 5개 상을 휩쓸며 세계적인 주목을 받기 시작했다. 2003년에는 퀸 엘리자베스 콩쿠르에서 편파 판정에 불복, 수상을 거부하며 우리나라뿐 아니라 전세계 클래식계에 핫 이슈를 몰고 왔지만, 2005년 제 15회 국제 쇼팽 콩쿠르에서 3위를 수상하며 그에 관한 일부 우려의 목소리를 잠재웠다. 또한 2007년 6월, 제13회 차이코프스키 국제 콩쿠르 피아노 부분에서 1위 없는 공동 4위를 수상하며 세계 3대 콩쿠르를 석권하는 쾌거를 이루었다. 

유럽, 북미, 아시아를 중심으로 활발하게 활동하고 있는 임동혁은 뉴욕 링컨 센터, 런던 위그모어 홀, 파리 살 플레옐, 베를린 콘체르트하우스, 도쿄 산토리홀 등 전세계 주요 공연장 무대에 올랐다. 또한 베르비에 페스티벌, 쇼팽 페스티벌, 루가노 페스티벌, 아르헤리치 함부르크 페스티벌 등 다수의 페스티벌에서 연주했다. 샤를 뒤투아가 지휘한 NHK 오케스트라, 정명훈이 이끄는 라디오 프랑스 필하모닉, 유리 테미르카노프 지휘의 상트페테르부르크 필하모닉, 쿠르트 마주어가 지휘한 프랑스 국립 오케스트라, 이르지 벨로흘라벡 지휘의 BBC 심포니, 마이클 틸슨 토마스 지휘의 샌프란시스코 심포니 등 세계 정상의 오케스트라와 협연하였다. 

 임동혁은 모스크바 국립 음악원에 입학하여 레프 나우모프를 사사하였고, 그는 “임동혁은 황금 손을 가졌다”라고 극찬한 바 있다. 그 후, 하노버 국립 음대에서 아리 바르디 사사, 그리고 줄리어드 음대에서 엠마누엘 엑스를 사사하였다. 임동혁은 현재 독일 베를린에 거주하고 있다. 

Acclaimed by audiences, critics and fellow musicians, Dong Hyek Lim is regarded as one of the finest pianists of his generation. He was born in 1984 in Seoul, South Korea. After early studies at the National Conservatory in his native country, he moved to Russia at age ten to become a pupil at the Moscow Central Music School. He graduated in 1998 and continued studies at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Professor Lev Naumov. Lim also studied in Germany with Arie Vardi at the Hochschule fur Musik in Hannover and in the States with Emanuel Ax at the Juilliard School. 

Lim’s performances at the Small and Great Halls of the Moscow State Conservatory, Salle Pleyel and Salle Cortot in Paris, the Lazienski Palace in Warsaw, the Konzerthaus in Berlin and with Martha Argerich at the Philharmonic Hall in Beppu, Japan, have won great acclaim. Also, Lim has appeared in many renowned festivals, including Verbier in Switzerland, Klavier-Festival Ruhr in Germany, the 57th International Chopin Festival in Poland, La Roque d’Antheron, Montpellier Radio France and Piano aux Jacobins Festivals in France. He has performed with world’s major orchestra such as NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic under conductors Charles Dutoit, Myung-Whun Chung, Yuri Temirkanov. In May 2001, Lim became the youngest pianist ever to sign a recording contract with EMI Classics and received the Diapason d'or award in France for his debut album of Chopin, Schubert, and Ravel under the "Martha Argerich Presents" series, released in June 2002. His second recording with EMI, featuring Chopin's B minor Sonata and other minor works was awarded the Choc Prize by Le Monde de la Musique. . In 2008, Lim released his third album, playing Goldberg Variations by J.S Bach, and his most recent recording of Chopin the complete prelude on Warner has been met with critical acclaim such as Gramophone and BBC Magazine. 

Lim has won top prizes at various competitions. In September 1996, he captured international attention by winning the second prize at the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow as the youngest participant of that year (his elder brother Dong-Min Lim tied for the first prize). In 2000, Lim took the fifth prize at the International Busoni Piano Competition in Italy, which later became known as 'Busoni Shock' (the entire juries were replaced for the next year's competition). He went on to win the second prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan later that year. In December 2001, not only did he become the youngest winner of the Premier Grand Prix in the history of the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud International Piano Competition in Paris, but also he won five other special awards. In October 2005, Lim participated in the 15th International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw and, for the first time in the history of Korea, took the third prize; tied with his elder brother Dong-Min Lim (no second prize was awarded). In June 2007, Lim participated in the 13th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, shared fourth prize with Sergei Sobolev (no first prize was awarded). 

In 2015, Lim released his recording of with Warner Music International. In the upcoming 2018/19 Season, Lim is scheduled to have his first duo concert and release a recording with Martha Argerich, BBC Symphony Orchestra. He will also be performing with Conductor Fabio Luisi and playing a trio with Mischa Maisky.    

Acclaimed by audiences, critics and fellow musicians, Dong Hyek Lim is regarded as one of the finest pianists of his generation. He was born in 1984 in Seoul, South Korea. After early studies at the National Conservatory in his native country, he moved to Russia at age ten to become a pupil at the Moscow Central Music School. He graduated in 1998 and continued studies at the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Professor Lev Naumov. Lim also studied in Germany with Arie Vardi at the Hochschule fur Musik in Hannover and in the States with Emanuel Ax at the Juilliard School. 

Lim’s performances at the Small and Great Halls of the Moscow State Conservatory, Salle Pleyel and Salle Cortot in Paris, the Lazienski Palace in Warsaw, the Konzerthaus in Berlin and with Martha Argerich at the Philharmonic Hall in Beppu, Japan, have won great acclaim. Also, Lim has appeared in many renowned festivals, including Verbier in Switzerland, Klavier-Festival Ruhr in Germany, the 57th International Chopin Festival in Poland, La Roque d’Antheron, Montpellier Radio France and Piano aux Jacobins Festivals in France. He has performed with world’s major orchestra such as NHK Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic under conductors Charles Dutoit, Myung-Whun Chung, Yuri Temirkanov. In May 2001, Lim became the youngest pianist ever to sign a recording contract with EMI Classics and received the Diapason d'or award in France for his debut album of Chopin, Schubert, and Ravel under the "Martha Argerich Presents" series, released in June 2002. His second recording with EMI, featuring Chopin's B minor Sonata and other minor works was awarded the Choc Prize by Le Monde de la Musique. . In 2008, Lim released his third album, playing Goldberg Variations by J.S Bach, and his most recent recording of Chopin the complete prelude on Warner has been met with critical acclaim such as Gramophone and BBC Magazine. 

Lim has won top prizes at various competitions. In September 1996, he captured international attention by winning the second prize at the Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow as the youngest participant of that year (his elder brother Dong-Min Lim tied for the first prize). In 2000, Lim took the fifth prize at the International Busoni Piano Competition in Italy, which later became known as 'Busoni Shock' (the entire juries were replaced for the next year's competition). He went on to win the second prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan later that year. In December 2001, not only did he become the youngest winner of the Premier Grand Prix in the history of the Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud International Piano Competition in Paris, but also he won five other special awards. In October 2005, Lim participated in the 15th International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw and, for the first time in the history of Korea, took the third prize; tied with his elder brother Dong-Min Lim (no second prize was awarded). In June 2007, Lim participated in the 13th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, shared fourth prize with Sergei Sobolev (no first prize was awarded). 

In 2015, Lim released his recording of with Warner Music International. In the upcoming 2018/19 Season, Lim is scheduled to have his first duo concert and release a recording with Martha Argerich, BBC Symphony Orchestra. He will also be performing with Conductor Fabio Luisi and playing a trio with Mischa Maisky.