Irene Kim – 10 Hour Bach Marathon at Union Station

Irene Kim will be part of Kaleidoscope’s program from 1:00pm-1:50pm in the Waiting Hall.
American pianist IRENE KIM has been praised for her “vitality and charm” and “authoritative inevitability” by the Peninsula Review and her “superior technique and delicate sensibility” by the Korea Times. Her performances have been heard across North America and Europe in recitals, chamber ensembles, and as a soloist with the Washington Youth Orchestra, Los Angeles Korean Chamber Orchestra, Rio Hondo Symphony, Southwestern Youth Music Festival Orchestra, and repeat performances with the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra.

Having garnered the Franz Liszt First Prize in the Liszt-Garrison International Young Artist competition and top prizes in the Carmel Music Society, Korean Concert Society, Yale Gordon Concerto, and Russell C. Wonderlic competitions amongst others, she gave subsequent performances at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Centro Cultural del Antiguo Instituto, Luckman Theatre, and the Library of Congress. Irene has also made appearances at the Banff Centre for the Arts Festival, Gijón International Piano Festival, Piano Festival Northwest, Seminars at the Colburn School, Columbia Chalice Concert Series, An die Musik LIVE, American Liszt Society Conferences, and also as a member of the Young Artists Guild.

As a musician of curiosity, Irene has collaborated extensively, most notably with vocalists, cellists, violinists, and percussionists. She tours frequently with violinist Benjamin Hoffman as a violin and piano duo, brightFeather, appearing in recitals from the New England area to Florence, Italy to enthusiastic audiences. Continuously piqued by the music and art of her contemporary surroundings, she has recently taken on projects with living composers, premiering works, and collaborating with visual artists and dancers. Irene’s other interests have led her to train as a conductor and also as a piano technician assistant at the Peabody Institute. She finished an internship with the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Her love for cinematography has led to projects of setting mixed media to music. Taking after her architect father, Irene is thoroughly interested in the acoustical designs of theatres and music halls.

Irene was born and raised in Los Angeles and began musical studies at age three with her mother. By age five, she was accepted into the distinguished and influential studio of Ick-Choo and Hae-Young Moon, where her formative training was established. At age eight, she made her orchestral debut with the Young Musicians Foundation Orchestra.

Irene’s professional training has been centered at the Peabody Conservatory, where she recently received her Doctorate in Musical Arts. She was awarded the Albert and Rosa Silverman Memorial Scholarship, the Lillian Gutman Memorial Piano Prize, and Clara Ascherfeld Award by the Conservatory for her musical endeavors during her studies there. Her mentors and teachers, Marian Hahn and Boris Slutsky, have been infinitely inspiring in the impartation of their passion for the art of musicianship.

In the course of her musical erudition, she also has had the honor to work with and receive precious insight from various distinguished musicians, including Leon Fleisher, Anton Kuerti, Robert McDonald, Ani Kavafian, Alexander Toradze, and Robert Van Sice amongst others.

Irene is an avid believer that the arts are a manifestation of humanity and its creativity and aspires to let music travel to where its resounding compassion is much needed.