Clarinetist Kim Han: "Kumho Art Hall is My Home... Happy to Be Recognized as Resident Musician"

Kumho Art Hall Selects Resident Musician of the Year... First Wind Instrument Performer
Four Performances Starting with New Year's Concert on the 7th... Yoon Isang's Works, Chamber Music, and Jazz Included

[Photo by Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Clarinetist Kim Han (25) has been selected as Kumho Art Hall's Resident Musician of the Year and will perform four concerts at Kumho Art Hall this year.

At a press conference held online on the 4th, Kim Han said, "Kumho Art Hall is like a home where I have performed countless times over 14 years." Kim Han made his debut on the Kumho Young Artist Concert stage in 2007 when he was 11 years old. Since then, he has built a long-standing relationship with Kumho Art Hall through numerous performances. "Over 14 years, I have experienced many solo and chamber music stages. Through performances at Kumho Art Hall, I met many senior musicians and built connections. When I received the notice that I had become a resident musician, I felt it was a meaningful and grateful moment, as it meant my ability to lead four concerts on my own was recognized."

The Kumho Art Hall Resident Musician program provides a platform for promising young musicians under 30 to build their own musical world. Resident musicians meet audiences four times with programs they plan themselves. Since its inception in 2013, eight resident musicians have been appointed, all pianists, violinists, or cellists. Kim Han is the first wind instrumentalist. "As the first wind instrumentalist, I felt a responsibility to help the public become more familiar with wind instruments. This motivated me to prepare even harder."

Kim Han's first performance will be at the Kumho Art Hall New Year's Concert on the 7th. Subsequent concerts will be held on June 3, October 7, and December 30.

At the New Year's Concert on the 7th, he will perform six pieces including Henri Rabaud's 'Solo de Concours' and Carl Maria von Weber's 'Grand Duo Concertant.' The Grand Duo Concertant is the piece Kim Han has performed most frequently as a clarinetist. "I performed it at my debut stage, the 2007 Kumho Young Artist Concert, and at various solo recitals. It is a personally very meaningful piece."

On June 3, he will perform Mozart and Brahms' Clarinet Quintets and Isang Yun's Clarinet Quintet No. 1. "This concert is filled with pieces I love. Especially Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, which I have performed about four or five times, always brings me great happiness. Isang Yun's piece touched my heart deeply when I first heard it."

[Photo by Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation]

In the October concert, he will perform Olivier Messiaen's 'Quatuor pour la fin du temps' with violinist Yang In-mo, cellist Brennan Cho, and pianist Park Jong-hae. 'Quatuor pour la fin du temps' is a masterpiece composed by French composer Messiaen while he was a prisoner of war in a German camp during World War II. He will also perform Isang Yun's 'Piri.' Although it is Kim Han's first time performing this piece, he is very much looking forward to it. "Although it is Korean music expressed through Western instruments, there is a Korean sentiment that only Koreans can convey. I want to prepare diligently and clearly show what feelings can be conveyed when a Korean performs a Korean composer's work."

The final concert in December will be a challenge in jazz performance. He will perform jazz interpretations of classical composers such as George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, as well as jazz clarinet pieces with a jazz ensemble team. Kim Han said, "While classical music involves performing fully composed scores, jazz offers an attractive experience of gradually painting on a blank canvas."

Kim Han gained worldwide attention by winning second place at the 2019 ARD International Competition. As a runner-up in this prestigious competition, 2020 was expected to open new opportunities for him. However, due to the spread of COVID-19, he had very few chances to perform on stage.

"After winning second place at the ARD Competition, I received many performance offers in 2020. I had high expectations, but about 90% of scheduled concerts were canceled. I held online concerts, but it felt like talking to a wall, which was disappointing. I hope the COVID-19 situation ends soon so I can have opportunities to perform and connect with audiences."

The pandemic increased his determination to work harder in music. "I think music is like oxygen that is always around us. While it may not be as essential as daily necessities, just listening to music enriches the heart. Music provides a chance to momentarily escape reality, so I always feel it is necessary. At the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert, conductor Riccardo Muti said that without music and art, situations like this would become even more devastating. His words about the need for music to continue even in difficult times deeply resonated with me. I will work harder to share music with audiences."

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