Four Hands, Two Sonatas
2026 South Korean television series
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Four Hands, Two Sonatas (Korean: 포핸즈) is an ongoing South Korean television series written by Shin Yi-won and directed by Park Hyun-seok. Set in an arts high school, the series follows the lives of three young people named Kang Bi-o, Choi Jeong-yo, and Hong Jae-in, who meet at an arts high school and explore their friendships, romances, rivalries, and personal growth as they navigate their school days and evolve into accomplished adult classical musicians. It premiered on tvN on August 29, 2026, and airs every Saturday and Sunday at 21:10 (KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING in South Korea and Netflix globally.
| Four Hands, Two Sonatas | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 포핸즈 |
| Lit. | Four Hands |
| RR | Pohaenjeu |
| MR | P'ohaenjŭ |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Shin Yi-won |
| Directed by | Park Hyun-seok |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Kim Joon-seok |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 2 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 70 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | tvN |
| Release | August 29, 2026 – present |
Synopsis
High school piano prodigy Kang Bi-o is consistently ranked first place in both academics and piano proficiency. Usually hailed as a future classical music icon who is ready to lead the world's top piano competitions, his career path begins to falter when he encounters an unexpected rival, Choi Jeong-yo. Jeong-yo is a naturally gifted pianist who abandoned his exceptional talent due to a difficult childhood, but his sudden enrollment at Korea Arts High School makes him face Bi-o, the very pianist who helped rekindle his passion for playing the piano. Jeong-yo is forced to confront the gift he once threw away, forming a friendship with Bi-o in the process.
Completing the trio is Hong Jae-in, a viola major at Korea Arts High School with remarkably sensitive hearing that skillfully recognizes melodies. She is Bi-o's close friend, whose piano playing has captivated her since their childhood, and finds her heart yearning for him. She also befriends Jeong-yo after guiding him to join their school, acknowledging his natural talent for playing the piano.
In a world depicting the friendship, love, competition, and growth of young people who meet at an arts high school surrounded by musical geniuses, the three create a powerful harmony fueled by their shared passion that follows them well into adulthood.
Cast and characters
Main
- The number one student at Korea Arts High School. Other than being a childhood piano prodigy who continually achieves first place in both academics and piano proficiency, Bi-o also carries a deep-rooted complex within himself. He is the illegitimate child of a wealthy family longing to be recognized by his grandfather, who despises him. He practices the piano for ten hours a day, secretly panicking about losing his top spot to Choi Jeong-yo, a piano genius who once outranked him when they were children.
- Lee Jun-young as Choi Jeong-yo[2]
- A piano genius who was born into a tough family, Choi Jeong-yo neglected his talents. One day, his teacher forced him to attend a piano concert, where pianist Kang Bi-o was playing. Jeong-yo was overtaken by a wave of old memories from when he first met Bi-o at a piano competition during their childhood. He then transfers to Korea Arts High School, pursuing piano again and forming a blossoming friendship with the pianist he has admired for years.
- Jang Gyu-ri as Hong Jae-in[3]
- A viola major at Korea Arts High School who possesses a keen musical sensibility and an exceptional ability to recognize melodies. She has loved Bi-o since they were children, and she admires his abilities as a pianist. One day, she hears Jeong-yo playing the piano and acknowledges his natural talent, guiding him to join Korea Arts High School as a student.
Supporting
People around Bi-o
- Yoon Se-ah as Kang Ji-hye[4]
- Bi-o's mother, who gave birth to him out of wedlock. Coming from a wealthy family of musicians, she is a former ballerina who graduated from Korea Arts High School. She joined a renowned ballet company in Germany, but then returned to Korea as a single mother, shocking everyone. She chose to live her life as a single mother and she became fiercely devoted in supporting her son after discovering his extraordinary talent, pushing him to beat Jeong-yo in piano.
- Jung Jin-young as Kang Seung-woon[4]
- Ji-hye's father and Bi-o's grandfather. Born during the Korean War, he is a musical genius who was deemed a child prodigy by the age of seven. As a conductor, he is authoritative and controlling, standing at the top with his perfect approach to music. He views his only daughter and grandson as the largest blemishes on his life, looking down on them and despising them all throughout their lives, and believing his grandson lacks real talent.
- Seo Jae-hee as Yoon Sun-ju[4]
- Seung-woon's second wife and Ji-hye's stepmother. She was a violin major and Ji-hye's senior at Korea Arts High School. After joining Seung-woon's orchestra, she grew to admire him and fell in love with him. She persistently pursued him before finally marrying him after the death of his first wife. She works as a director of the Korea Group Cultural Foundation and simultaneously serves as chairwoman of Korea Arts High School, recognizing Jeong-yo's exceptional talent and granting him admission to the school.
People around Jeong-yo
- Seong No-jin as Choi Gi-taek[5]
- Jeong-yo's father, an alcoholic who resents his own son. He used to work as a diligent piano tuner before quitting for reasons unknown.
- Lee Myeong-ro as Jo Hyun-cheol[5]
- Jeong-yo's older friend who became close to him when they were residing on the streets. He was aware of Jeong-yo's difficult circumstances better than anyone, treating him like a younger brother. Despite being constantly berated by Director Kim, he always lends Jeong-yo part of the money he earns as a loan shark runner, showing his deep care for Jeong-yo as an older brother figure in his life.
- Kim Min as Director Kim[5]
- A ruthless loan shark who makes a living by using troubled teenagers and runaways on the streets. Using the money he once lent to Jeong-yo's father as leverage, he openly exploits Jeong-yo.
People around Jae-in
- Kim Hye-hwa as Han Hyun-jeong[6]
- Jae-in's mother and the CEO of a management agency for classical musicians. She founded the agency following a divorce from her wealthy husband, who habitually cheated on her. She harbors hope for her daughter's success, but she does not like her daughter's childish declarations to marry Bi-o. She acknowledges the both of them as exceptional artists instead of as people. After meeting Jeong-yo, she realizes that his natural talent is the key to making her daughter a success as her accompanist.
Korea Arts High School
- Kim Joo-hun as Do Hyeon-soo[7]
- A graduate of Korea Arts High School, Hyeon-soo studied in the United States and taught there before returning to Korea, where he was appointed as a university professor. He occasionally offers guidance to Bi-o, reminding him that music is about sincerity and telling a story rather than just perfecting a technique, and advises him to pour his emotions into his performances. He later becomes a supportive mentor to Jeong-yo, recognizing him as an unpolished gem after hearing him play, and offers his practice room and free piano lessons to him.
- Lee Sang-jun as Yoon Han-rim[7]
- A piano major at Korea Arts High School and Bi-o's classmate. He repeatedly teams up with Jang Seok-hwan to bully Bi-o, viewing himself as Bi-o's rival due to an inferiority complex born out of never being able to surpass him. As a result, he incites the other students to isolate Bi-o in their classroom.
- Yoo Tae-joo as Jang Seok-hwan[7]
- A cello major at Korea Arts High School who bullies Bi-o with his friend, Han-rim. He is an enforcer, usually fighting with his fists instead of his words.
Production
Development
Produced by Studio Dragon, Studio N and Namoo Actors, Park Hyun-seok, who helmed Song of the Bandits (2023) and Knock-Off, was attached to direct, and Shin Yi-won was in charge of the screenplay.[8] Four Hands, Two Sonatas is an original work by Studio N. The series' title refers to a piano term for a four-handed performance.[9][10]
Casting
On June 30, 2025, Song Kang was considering the drama as his comeback project following his discharge from the military, and Lee Jun-young was considering it on September 2.[11][12] In November 2025, Jang Gyu-ri, Kim Joo-hun, Yoon Se-ah, and Jung Jin-young were reportedly cast.[13][14][15][16]
By January 2026, Song, Lee, and Jang were officially confirmed to lead the series.[17]
Filming
Principal photography began in the second half of 2025 and concluded in July 2026.[18][19]
Release
Marketing
On August 7, 2026, tvN announced a special preview event for Four Hands, Two Sonatas in collaboration with the Seoul International Music Festival, inviting fans to focus on the classical music works that depict the journey of the three main characters in the series. The event was held on August 22, 2026, at the Music Square outside of Seoul Arts Center. Eight piano students from Kyung Hee University, Seoul National University, Hanyang University, and the Berklee College of Music paired up and performed four-handed pieces at the venue, followed by solo and four-handed performances from professional pianists Lee Min-sung and Park Ju-young, who gave piano lessons to actors Song Kang and Lee Jun-young prior to filming the series. In addition, Korean singer Jaeyeon performed his original soundtrack for the series titled "Where the Light Stays" live for the first time.[22][23][24]
Viewership
| Season | Episode number | Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |||
| 1 | 842 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[25] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | ||
| 1 | August 29, 2026 | 3.391% (1st) | 3.466% (1st) |
| 2 | August 30, 2026 | ||
| 3 | September 5, 2026 | ||
| 4 | September 6, 2026 | ||
| 5 | September 12, 2026 | ||
| 6 | September 13, 2026 | ||
| 7 | September 19, 2026 | ||
| 8 | September 20, 2026 | ||
| 9 | September 26, 2026 | ||
| 10 | September 27, 2026 | ||
| 11 | October 3, 2026 | ||
| 12 | October 4, 2026 | ||
| Average | — | — | |
