Jin Uk Kim 2nd in Kapell Competition

NEC’s Jin Uk Kim ’13 D.M.A. Takes Second Prize in 2012 William Kapell International Piano Competition

Jin Uk Kim a doctoral candidate studying with Wha Kyung Byun, has won the Second Prize in the 2012 William Kapell International Piano Competition, which took place July  7—21 at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. Kim, 28, and a native of South Korea, received a $15,000 prize. A recipient of the Joseph C. Beaudoin Piano Scholarship at NEC, he earned his Master of Music in 2008 and his Graduate Diploma in 2010.

Since his public debut with the New Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at age 10, Kim has been performing as an orchestra soloist, solo pianist and chamber musician. In summer 2011, he appeared as an orchestra soloist with the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra led by conductor Daniel Hege, in a gala performance given after he won the festival’s concerto competition.

At the invitation of his undergraduate school, Hanyang University, Mr. Kim has performed with both the University Orchestra and the Alumni Orchestra at Korea's major concert halls. He has also actively participated in a number of piano and chamber music concert series presented by New England Conservatory. In 2009 he was featured in the New England Conservatory Young Stars Concert at the Newport Music Festival as a piano soloist and in a duo with flutist Sooyun Kim, with whom he also performed at the Kennedy Center as part of the Millennium Stage Conservatory Project.

Mr. Kim was also involved in an NEC project with legendary jazz and Third Stream pianist Ran Blake that paired improvised musical performance with classic Film Noir works. He was awarded the third prize at the 2008 Corpus Christi International Competition for Piano & Strings as well as top prizes at major competitions in Korea.

The quadrennial Kapell competition has taken its place among the most prestigious competitions in the world since it was founded in 1971 as the University of Maryland International Piano Festival & Competition. In 1980 it was formally recognized with admission to the World Federation of International Music Competitions, becoming the second American competition to join the Federation. In 1986 the competition was given its current name in recognition of the great American pianist William Kapell, whose life ended tragically in a 1953 plane crash. The mission of the William Kapell International Piano Competition and Festival is to support and nurture young pianists and promote diverse piano repertoire. In recognition of William Kapell’s mission to promote American works, semi-finalists are required to perform one work from a list of six American compositions. This year’s panel of jurors was chaired by Santiago Rodriguez of the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, and included Richard Egarr, United Kingdom; Ming Qiang Li, China; Cecile Licad, Philippines; Noriko Ogawa, Japan; Peter Roesel, Germany; and Stewart Gordon, USA.

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ABOUT NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY

Recognized nationally and internationally as a leader among music schools, New England Conservatory in Boston, MA offers rigorous training in an intimate, nurturing community to 720 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral music students from around the world.  Its faculty of 225 boasts internationally esteemed artist-teachers and scholars.  Its alumni go on to fill orchestra chairs, concert hall stages, jazz clubs, recording studios, and arts management positions worldwide.  Nearly half of the Boston Symphony Orchestra is composed of NEC trained musicians and faculty.

The oldest independent school of music in the United States, NEC was founded in 1867 by Eben Tourjee. Its curriculum is remarkable for its wide range of styles and traditions.  On the college level, it features training in classical, jazz, contemporary improvisation, world and early music. Through its Preparatory School, School of Continuing Education, and Community Programs and Partnerships Program, it provides training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students, adults, and seniors.  Through its outreach projects, it allows young musicians to engage with non-traditional audiences in schools, hospitals, and nursing homes—thereby bringing pleasure to new listeners and enlarging the universe for classical music, jazz, and contemporary improvisation.

NEC presents more than 900 free concerts each year, many of them in Jordan Hall, its world- renowned, century-old, beautifully restored concert hall.  These programs range from solo recitals to chamber music to orchestral programs to jazz, contemporary improvisation, and opera scenes.  Every year, NEC’s opera studies department also presents two fully staged opera productions at the Cutler Majestic Theatre or Paramount Theatre in Boston.

NEC is co-founder and educational partner of From the Top, a weekly radio program that celebrates outstanding young classical musicians from the entire country. With its broadcast home in Jordan Hall, the show is now carried by National Public Radio and is heard on 250 stations throughout the United States.

Contact: Ellen Pfeifer
Public Relations Manager
New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
617-585-1143
Ellen.pfeifer@necmusic.edu