Kim Sun-wook's late 20s bring agony, own sound
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Pianist Kim Sun-wook performs during a press event at Munho Art Hall in central Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap
By Kwon Ji-youn
Riding on the back of an extraordinary classical music boom here that started with Cho Seong-jin’s win at the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition in October, pianist Kim Sun-wook, who rose to international stardom almost 10 years before Cho, is playing his fingers to the bone, with recitals lined up and a new album flying off the shelves.
Kim, who made a name for himself when he won the Leeds International Piano Competition at age 18, is now a versed pianist in his late 20s, a time of agony and hardship, according to acclaimed pianists such as Paik Kun-woo and Chung Myung-whun.
“Now that my late 20s are here, I think I understand what they meant when they advised that it would be a difficult time,” the pianist, 28, said at a press event, Friday. “But I’m finding my own sound. I’ve developed a clear preference, and I’m able to better perform the kind of music I would like to perform.”
The same agony went into preparations for his next concert, to feature Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.54, with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen (Bremen German Chamber Philharmonic) and Estonian-born American conductor Paavo Jarvi at the Seoul Arts Center on Dec. 17.
“I’ve performed Schumann many times, and I’ve been thinking about how I can produce the right sound for this particular piece,” he said. “Each pianist produces a different sound, and their interpretations vary as much. I think I’ve not only found my own sound, but I’ve spent the last 10 years polishing and refining it. A musician, after all, spends a lifetime researching.”
Kim found his first rehearsal with Jarvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie as exciting as it was nerve-racking.
“Schumann’s work brings out a story in the pianist,” Kim said. “The Piano Concerto gives body to imagination and creativity, and the orchestra does not merely provide an accompaniment but rather coexists with the pianist.
“It’s a symbiotic relationship. The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie is a small chamber orchestra, so the interaction is close-knit, and Jarvi has performed Schumann with so many pianists and is capable of adapting to the musical spectrum of any musician. I’m looking forward to the experience.”
Kim said he hopes his music will take on a complexity as time goes by.
“A sound that isn’t too pretty or too rough,” he said, “with moderation and balance. This will be difficult, but I wouldn’t want my performances to be of just one color or taste.”
For such, finding the right piano is very important, which is why he had one shipped from Paris to Berlin, where the recording took place for his first solo album.
The album features Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 21, Op. 53, “Waldstein,” and No. 29, Op. 106, “Hammerklavier,” two emotionally staggering pieces, according to Kim.
“I wanted to leave no regrets with this album,” Kim said. “Some pianists record bar by bar, but I tried to record in one sitting, because flow is very important to me. I wanted to make sure the performances were as ‘live’ as possible. I’m sure my interpretations of the same pieces will be very different in five or 10 years’ time, but I’m satisfied with the disc that contains my best interpretations of the sonatas today.”
Kim, known for his many Beethoven performances in Korea, said he does not mind being referred to as a specialist in German composers, but emphasized that his repertoire is not limited to Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms.
“A musician’s career is very long,” Kim said. “A piece I played five years ago can provide a completely new experience today, and in five more years, I may learn more about the piece that I thought I knew inside out. I may have accomplished a lot over the last 10 years, but I also have a lot more studying and researching to do.”
Kim studied at the Royal Academy of Music and in 2006 became the youngest winner of the Leeds Competition in 40 years, as well as its first Asian winner.
Follow Kwon Ji-youn on Twitter @jennajykwon.