Master Class

Jenny Soonjin Kim

Jenny Soonjin Kim has established an international reputation as a performing artist on piano and fortepiano. As an exclusive Sony Classical artist, her album “Eternal Beethoven,” released in 2022, included 15 Variations and a Fugue on an original theme, “Eroica”, Op. 35; Bagatelles, Op. 126; and Sonata No. 32 in C Major, Op. 111. As a dynamic and prolific artist throughout her career, not only has she recorded keyboard works ranging from Bach to Schoenberg for Arabesque Records (which once nominated her for the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award), but also the complete keyboard sonatas of both Leopold Kozeluch and Johann Friedrich Doles (a world premiere) on fortepiano for Brilliant Classics. The complete, 12-CD box-set recording of the 50 keyboard sonatas of Kozeluch was released in October 2020. Beginning in August 2023, she has been contracted by the Euro Sinfonietta Vienna Orchestra to perform and live-record the complete 5 piano concertos of Beethoven in Vienna, Austria.

In her role as a renowned international artist, Kim has performed in major international venues in Europe, Asia, and North America. Kim was selected to perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonie lead by Yunsung Chang in Musikverein Golden Hall, Vienna to commemorate the 130th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Austria in 2022. Kim performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 with the Orquestra Sinfónica de Torrevieja conducted by José Francisco Sánchez in Spain and was invited to perform Mozart's piano concerto, K.466 (using a cadenza composed by Beethoven) with Bibiena Chamber Orchestra conducted by Frantz Schottky in Teatro Bibiena, Mantua, Italy. Kim was also invited to perform at the China Sanya International Piano Festival in Hainan Province, China and in Taipei, Taiwan, and performed Kozeluch’s First Piano Concerto in F Major with the Philharmony Hradec Králové conducted by Filippo Arlia at Smetana Hall, Prague in October 2019.

Antoni Jakubowski, music critic (Torrevieja Target: Cultural Press), wrote of Chopin’s first piano concerto: “…Guest soloist Jenny Soonjin Kim dazzled the audience with her performance, conveying all these characteristics in an impressive and convincing way. Utilizing her technical skills, she at the same time impressed with a lot of musicality, sensitivity and poetic, thoughtful and romantic interpretation…”.  Michael Allhoff, owner of Costa Blanca Leben, wrote: “…With verve, dedication and precision, the piano soloist Jenny Soonjin Kim interpreted the Concerto No. 1 by Chopin…” Sylvia Berry (Early Music America) wrote of the second Kozeluch volume: “Kim’s playing is crystalline and lyrical, with exquisitely sensitive phrasing. She is an assured virtuoso who interprets Kozeluch’s music beautifully.”  Marco Frei (Germany’s Piano News) wrote of the Doles recording: “Once again the instrument convinces with an unheard-of floating tonal quality in piano and a voluminous expression in forte, and Kim knows how to use this fascinating richness of color perfectly…With this premiere recording Kim has taken an exemplary view, because it brings together the sound poetry and the gripping verve in a meaningful way.”

Kim has been invited to teach masterclasses at the Wiener Musik Seminar International Master Classes at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in 2023. She also served as an international judicator for notable events which included the Scriabin International Piano Competition held in Grosseto, Italy in July 2021 and the U.S. Golden State International Strings & Piano Competition in August 2021, sponsored by the Chinese government.

Kim is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice at Claremont Graduate University, overseeing its piano/fortepiano program and directing Performance Forum. She also serves on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble, involved as an education committee and gala host committee member.

Kim obtained the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Historical Performance Practices/Keyboard Studies from Claremont Graduate University in California; a diploma in Music Business/Music Management and Merchandising from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA); a Master’s Degree in piano performance and Graduate Certificate at the University of Southern California (USC); a diploma at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg; and a Bachelor of Arts degree at Seoul National University.

Languages: German, English, Korean