Please Call Me a Conductor Now... Pianist Kim Seon-uk

Pianist Sunwook Kim
Photo by Vincero

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] Pianist Kim Sunwook (32) will officially debut as a conductor this December.

Kim Sunwook will conduct the KBS Symphony Orchestra at Lotte Concert Hall on December 14. The program includes Beethoven's "Egmont Overture," Piano Concerto No. 2, and Brahms' Symphony No. 2. Kim will both perform as a pianist and conduct during the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2, and will take the podium solely as a conductor for Brahms' Symphony No. 2.

Kim completed his master's degree in conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2013. However, after graduation, he focused on piano because balancing piano and conducting is not an easy task.

Jang Hanna (38), who transformed from a cellist to a conductor, once said, "If I learned about 50 pieces as a cellist, I am now learning over 300 pieces as a conductor."

Kim revealed, "When I was studying conducting in London, trying to practice piano as well caused overload more than once," adding, "After graduation, I thought balancing conducting and piano would not be easy, so I devoted myself to piano." He added, "Now in my early 30s, I felt that if I don't start now, it would be too late, so I wanted to challenge conducting again."

Kim said that Beethoven's "Egmont Overture" and Brahms' Symphony No. 2 are "pieces I often studied and practiced at school as a conducting student and are beloved repertoire," and added, "I do not take the world of conducting lightly, so I will prepare with humility and do my best."

Before his conducting debut, on December 8 at the same venue, he will present his first duo stage with violinist Jung Kyung-hwa, performing Brahms' Violin Sonatas Nos. 1, 2, and 3.

Kim said, "I grew up listening to many recordings made by my teacher and nurtured my dreams by watching performances," expressing himself as a longtime fan of Jung Kyung-hwa.

Kim also plans to hold a solo recital at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall in December to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. The recital was originally scheduled for the 13th but was postponed due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.