Pianist helps students pursue dreams in US
Kim Ja-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
Many Korean music students waste their money and energy in the United States as they lack information about how to navigate their way into achieving their musical dreams there.
Kim Ja-hye, 33, a South Korean pianist based in New York, is helping such Korean students in the United States by utilizing her rich experience there.
Kim, the artistic director of the Union City Philharmonic Orchestra (
), supports students from her home country to attend various music competitions in New York as well as arranging their debut on such prestigious stages as Carnegie Hall.
“I am really interested in music education. Along the way, I met my colleague Choi Yu-lee, a director of the musical group Ensemble Sprouts. With her, I have helped Korean students pursue their dream in the U.S.,” Kim said.
She said Ensemble Sprouts is composed of six violinists who are now students of Yewon School, Seoul Art High School and Seoul National University.
“They visited New York to have auditions for the Julliard School and Curtis Institute of Music. Taking this opportunity, Choi and I arranged their performance tour around the U.S. from January to March,” she said.
Kim said the biggest achievement was when all the members of Ensemble Sprouts won awards at the KRB New York International Music Competition.
“Following the awards, they could perform at Carnegie Hall with me, which became their Carnegie Hall Debut concert,” she said. “One student, Linsey Lee, received the grand prize at the AFAF Competition and earned the opportunity to perform at the Carnegie Hall twice. She also gained the chance to learn from world class violinist Vadim Repin.”
Kim has performed at Carnegie Hall more than 100 times, and wants to tell music students the premier venue is not that far away.
“Everyone can perform there as long as they have a dream and do their best. And I can definitely help them,” she said.
She said she felt sad when she saw people waste their money in the U.S. due to a lack of information.
“I want to help music students save their time and money so that they can reach their goals more quickly,” Kim said.
She plans to hold a music festival in August to help those students who want to study and perform in America.
“The auditions to attend this festival will be held in Korea as early as May and June,” she said.
Kim started piano and violin at the age of five influenced by her violinist mother. She has worked as a pianist from the age of 13.
Right after graduating from Yonsei University, she moved to the U.S. and completed a Master’s course at the Mannes School of Music. She is now in the Doctor of Music Arts program at Rutgers University. As a pianist, she has performed with such big names as maestro Lorin Maazel and pianist Murray Perahia.
Kim can be reached at gracejahyekim@gmail.com.