Sunhwa Kim Pianist

Bio

 Pianist Sunhwa Kim is the recipient of the 12th Seoul Student Award for enhancing Korea’s national prestige from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and She has also received 2021 Roy M. Rubinstein Award through Manhattan School of Music. At age 11, she had her solo debut concerts, including Seoul Arts Center Prodigy Concert, The Kumho Prodigy Recital and performed with the Hanmi Orchestra at age 12 at Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall. She was a finalist and received the Honorable Mention Prize at the 2013 International Paderewski Piano Competition in Poland and the 20th Ile de France International Piano Competition in 2018. She got the opportunity to participate in the Interpretation Master Course in 2014 by the European Krzysztof Penderecki Centre for Music.

Ms. Kim is the winner of the 2020 New York Paderewski International Piano Competition, Yamaha Music Korea Scholarship Audition, the 15th Korea Chopin Competition, the All Japan Art International Competition (in which she was also awarded the Brilliant Technique prize), the International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia and the Kerikeri International Piano Competition.

She has had many solo and chamber performances in the United States, France, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, China, Singapore, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Poland.

As a chamber musician, she has played the Brahms Piano Quintet with the Silesian Quartet in Poland and performed the Brahms Piano Quintet during the Spirit of SNU Strings II Chamber Concert, held in the IBK Chamber Hall of the Seoul Arts Center. Most recently, Sunhwa Kim has participated in numerous concerts such as the Colburn Young Artist Series Concert and has performed with singers from the 2018 LA Opera Young Artists at the Steinway & Sons gallery, Beverly Hills in Los Angeles. In addition, she has collaborated with renowned Percussionist She-e Wu in the Colburn School’s CCMS concert in Zipper Hall. 

She is also a member of the Benefic Piano Trio. The Benefic Piano Trio, Grand Prize winners of the 2018 ENKOR International Music Competition, and Artists in Residence at the Benefic Chamber Festival, was formed at the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, California, in 2017. They performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Poway Symphony Orchestra in San Diego in 2019. They are currently working with composer Daniel Carr who is based in Seattle, WA for his latest recording project. 

Featuring three dedicated chamber musicians and solo prize winners coming together to channel their artistic intent with integrity and energy into tasteful and expressive music making, members Sunhwa Kim, piano, Misha Vayman, violin, and Cello (Qiele) Guo, cello, have all received numerous accolades, including full fellowships, residencies, and competition titles nationally and internationally.

As an ensemble, Benefic is currently based in Los Angeles and New York. They have performed at numerous venues throughout the sprawling city, including Zipper, Thayer, and Mayman Halls and at Ball State University. Internationally, the Trio recently performed at the Debussy Hall in Lyon, France. 

The Trio has worked intensively with Colburn faculty such as the legendary Arnold Steinhardt, former first violin of the Guarneri String Quartet, Fabio Bidini, prize winning concert pianist and member of Trio Solisti, and Martin Beaver, acclaimed former first violin of the Tokyo String Quartet, and a member of the Montrose Trio.

She has had masterclasses with renowned pianists Menahem Pressler, Arie Vardi, Ralf Gothoni, Christopher Elton, Andrzej Jasinski, Piotr Paleczny, John O’Conor, Joaquin Soriano, Boris Petrushansky, Alexander Braginsky, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Pavel Gililov, Jacques Rouvier, and Richard Goode.

Ms. Kim received her Artist Diploma at the Colburn Conservatory of Music studying under Mr. Fabio Bidini. She graduated with honors and received her Bachelors degree from Seoul National University with Mr. Hyoung-joon Chang. Previously, she has studied with Soo-jung Shin, Jin-woo Chung, Hae-jeon Lee, Sook-Ryeon park and Choong-mo Kang. She has recently completed her Masters degree, making the Dean’s list 2019 and 2020 at the Manhattan School of Music studying under Mr. Phillip Kawin. 

Sunhwa Kim is a currently pursuing her doctoral degree at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, studying under Dr. Mark Silverman and she is teaching required piano class and elective piano as a teaching assistant at the Manhattan School of Music. She is an official Steinway Teacher and an Educational Partner (STEP)

and a Music Teachers National Association

(MTNA) member.

Sunhwa Kim is currently a faculty member at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School in New York.