Guest artist finds beauty through piano

PIANO EXPRESSIONS: Mihyun Kim - Submitted photo

The performance will be at McKenzie Theater in La Grande at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Sunflower Books, Betty’s Books, EOU Bookstore and at the door.

Kim received her bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University in South Korea and her master of music degree from Peabody Conservatory. She is pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Oregon, where she is a student of Dean Kramer and Alexandre Dossin.

Kim has performed as a soloist with many orchestras, including the Moscow Symphony Orchestra and University of Oregon Symphony Orchestra, where she was a recent winner of the school concerto competition and performed the formidable Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3.

Kim has participated in several international festivals, including the International Sommer Academie Mozarteum in 1999 and the Aspen Music Festival in 2006. As a pedagogue, she has been a faculty member at Busan Arts High School and Dongeui University in South Korea.

Kim has appeared in recital on numerous occasions, including performances at Goodwin Recital Hall in Baltimore, the Sejong Cultural Center in Seoul and the Busan Cultural Center. Her former teachers include Marian Hahn, Benjamin Pasterneck, Myunghak Lee and Hyerim Kim.

What is the main project you are currently working on?

Currently I am preparing for chamber music recital, which is scheduled for June 2008 and will take place in Beall Concert Hall at the UO at Eugene.

It is an exciting program that consists of two great works: Brahms Piano Quintet Op.34 in F minor and Poulenc Sextet for Wind Quintet and Piano. Both compositions are absolutely inspiring, completely individual and unique in both character and style. I’m truly excited for the opportunity to perform these works in collaboration with the diverse group of musicians who also happen to be my friends.

During the rehearsals we get to share musical ideas, discuss our choices of our interpretations as well as to enjoy a pure music making experience.

What’s your biggest recent accomplishment?

My biggest recent accomplishment would have to be the performance of two piano concertos with an orchestra in the same recital program. I had an incredible opportunity to play Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3 and Prokofiev Concerto No.2. Both concertos are by Russian composers but are very contrasting works of music and place completely different technical and musical demands on the pianist.

Rachmaninoff’s concerto is a truly romantic and expressive composition while Prokofiev’s style, even though still romantic in many ways, requires a great deal of physical stamina from the performer.

From the beginning it was a very difficult task in many aspects but I really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot about myself throughout the process. 

Who is your biggest influence? Role model? Favorite musician?

To answer this question I would have to start with my piano teachers and music instructors. They taught me not only how to practice and develop my technique, but most importantly how to listen and appreciate the art of music.

My favorite pianists are Murray Perahia and Martha Argerich. They both are a wonderful pianists and each one of them had inspired me in many different ways.

Do you have a tip to share with other musicians?

In my opinion, studying music is like learning about life and finding beauty in everything that life has to offer. As we go through life, we experience different events and emotions that are affecting our musical perspective and interpretation. Music should not be just about playing correct notes on the instrument but should be about discovering the meaning and the emotional context of each composition.

Based on that philosophy about the importance of musical interpretation, my advice to musicians and music students would be to always keep intentions of the composer in mind, to practice and experiment with different interpretive ideas, to be aware of the performing traditions and to stay true to all the details of the score.

What was your earliest inspiration?

My earliest inspiration comes from my mother’s love of music. Ever since I was a small child, I remember my mother turning on the radio to the classical music or sometimes she herself played simple beautiful tunes on our little upright piano. Since the age of five I wanted to play the piano as my mother did and ask her to let me take piano lessons. Since then I never stopped playing the piano and it became my lifelong friend.

What phrase best describes you?

I think of myself as a sincere musician with a strong artistic personality and at the same time I feel modest about my achievements and always set new goals for myself and try to keep an open mind to different challenges that life has to offer.