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Ben Kim Piano
American pianist BENKIM continues to prove himself an exceptionally gifted musician, through which his performances have gained a burgeoning international reputation for an uncommon maturity, integrity and insight. Ben Kim performs a range of repertoire spanning from Bach to Schumann and Schönberg, as well as works by living composers, including Manfred Trojahn and Frederic Rzewski. His interpretations have been lauded among critics and audiences alike, especially for their imaginative sensibility and fidelity toward the score. The Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany's largest daily paper, commented on a recent concert as “practically euphoric and filled with vitality.”
Ben has delighted audiences and garnered critical acclaim for his performances worldwide, in such cities as New York, Washington DC, London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, St Petersburg, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. He made his orchestral debut at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall with the Olympus Chamber Players in 2009 and at Suntory Hall in Tokyo in 2010. Recently Ben also went on a 14-concert tour through Japan with the Brno Philharmonic, as well a number of debuts in Germany, including those at the Berlin Philharmonie and Konzerthaus, Stuttgart Liederhalle, Munich Philharmonie im Gasteig, and Leipzig Gewandhaus. Recent orchestral engagements include performances with the Bavarian Radio, German
Radio, Baltimore, and St Petersburg Hermitage State Symphony Orchestras. Highlights from this season include debuts at the Musikverein in Vienna and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, a German tour with the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra, and return appearances with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and at Tokyo Hamarikyu Asahi Hall.
In 2006 Ben Kim's budding career became a focus of international attention after he won First Prize in the 55th ARD Munich International Music Competition for Piano. In 2012 he was one of six recipients selected among a pool of more than 13,000 recent graduates of his alma mater at the Johns Hopkins University to be awarded an Outstanding Recent Graduate Award for outstanding achievement or service in any professional field.
Ben's recording of the Chopin Préludes and Impromptus was released on the Universal Decca label in 2013. He has additional recordings out on Sony Classical and Klavier-Festival Ruhr labels featuring works by his favorite composers, including Mozart, Debussy and Schumann. Ben's performances have been broadcast on radio and television on all continents, including Performance Today on America's National Public Radio (NPR) and was featured on the American television series Frontline/World for PBS. He has worked with eminent musicians such as conductors Christoph Eschenbach, Andrew Litton, and Christoph Poppen, sopranist Juliane Banse, and emerging musicians such as violinist Veronika Eberle and the Jupiter String Quartet.
Ben was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where he began studying piano at age five with Dorothy Fahlman. While he made his solo debut at age eight, his orchestral debut at twelve, and continued his studies in Oregon, Ben actively pursued other interests, including those in mathematics and writing, until he decided upon completion of his academic studies to follow his love for music. At age 20, Ben received his Bachelor of Music degree at the Peabody Conservatory as a student of Leon Fleisher. He continued his studies at Peabody with Mr. Fleisher together with Yong
Hi Moon after graduating. Ben was selected to attend the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy from 2005-2007, a program for seven pianists, headed by Martha Argerich and William Grat Naboré, which, upon befriending a number of Italian students, led to his interest in Italian cooking.
Ben resides in Berlin, having graduated from the Berlin University of Arts under Klaus Hellwig. He has most recently begun coaching with renowned conductor Christoph Eschenbach on a regular basis. Ben has served on the faculties of the Bowdoin Music Festival in Brunswick, Maine, and the Valencia International Piano Academy in Spain. Ben enjoys rock climbing and is a member of the German Alpine Society (Deutscher Alpenverein). He also enjoy the occasional opportunity to travel to destinations that don't call for a piano.
Leoš Janáček Four Pieces for Piano, ‘In the Mists', JW 8/22
Andante
Molto adagio
Andantino
Presto
Frederic Rzewski ‘Dream' from Dreams Part 1 for Piano
Alexander Scriabin Piano Sonata No.5 in F-sharp Major, Op.53
Claude Debussy L'isle joyeuse, L.106
I N T E R M I S S I O N
Johannes Brahms Piano Sonata No. 3 in f minor, Op.5
Allegro maestoso
Andante espressivo
Scherzo. Allegro energico - Trio
Intermezzo. Andante molto