Piano and Conductor
Sunwook Kim

Sunwook Kim

Local Management (Ita)

BIO

Sunwook Kim came to international recognition when he won the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition in 2006, aged just 18, becoming the competition’s youngest winner for 40 years, as well as its first Asian winner. Since then, he has established a reputation as one of the finest pianists of his generation, appearing as a concerto soloist in the subscription series of some of the world’s leading orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Berlin Radio Symphony, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Finnish Radio Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Orchestra of Wales, Radio-France Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Hallé Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra for his BBC Proms debut in Summer 2014. Conductor collaborations include with Karina Canellakis, Nathalie Stutzmann, Thomas Sondergard, Tugan Sokhiev, Daniel Harding, Paavo Jarvi, David Afkham, Edward Gardner, John Elliot Gardiner, Myung-Whun Chung, Osmo Vänskä, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Kirill Karabits, Marek Janowski, Sakari Oramo, Andrew Manze, Vassily Sinaisky, Paavo Järvi, Michael Sanderling, Yuri Bashmet and Sir Mark Elder.

Recital highlights to date include regular appearances at the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall (London International Piano Series), in the ‘Piano 4 Etoiles’ series at the Philharmonie de Paris and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Piano aux Jacobin Festival, AIX Festival, La Roque d_’ Antheron International Piano Festival (France) as well as at the Beethoven-Haus Bonn, Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festspiele, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, Kioi Hall in Tokyo, Symphony Hall Osaka and Seoul Arts Centre. Sunwook is also a keen chamber musician and has collaborated with singers.

As soloist in the 2022/23 season, Sunwook will return to the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Tianyi Lu), London Symphony Orchestra (Michael Tilson Thomas), Chamber Orchestra of Europe to tour South Korea as well as to the Seoul Philharmonic in their tour of Europe (Concertgebouw, Cadogan Hall). Sunwook will also return to Bournemouth Symphony both as soloist (Karabits) and to conduct Dvorak’s Cello Concerto alongside Brahms Symphony No. 2. Sunkwook ‘s return to the Bournemouth Symphony as conductor follows his instant success having made his play-direct debut with the orchestra and international conducting debut with the KBS Symphony only last season. In August 2022, Sunwook also had the honour to conduct the Seoul Philharmonic in their National Liberation Day Concert marking the 77th anniversary of Korea’s National Liberation Day. Further conducting debuts this season include with the Fundación Excelentia Madrid and Macao Orchestra.
Sunwook Kim’s debut recital disc was released on the Accentus label in October 2015, featuring Beethoven’s Waldstein and Hammerklavier sonatas, this was followed by a recording of Franck’s Prelude, choral et fugue paired with Brahms Sonata No.3. He has released further recordings of Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas, Sonata No. 8; Pathetique, Sonata No. 14; Moonlight and Sonata No. 23; Appassionata as well as sonatas No. 30-32 and his most recent chamber music release features the Violin Sonatas of Beethoven in collaboration with Clara- Jumi Kang. His discography also includes multiple concerto recordings; on Accentus Music with the Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Myung-Whun Chung featuring Brahms’ Piano Concerto no. 1 (2019) and Six Piano Pieces (2020) in addition to recordings on Deutsche Grammophon with the Seoul Philharmonic conducted by Myung-Whun Chung, a CD featuring Unsuk Chin’s Piano Concerto (2014) which attracted outstanding reviews and awards from BBC Music Magazine and International Classical Music Awards, and a CD featuring Beethoven Concerto No.5 (2013).

Born in Seoul in 1988, Sunwook completed an MA in conducting at the Royal Academy of Music and was subsequently made a fellow (FRAM) of the Royal Academy of Music in 2019. Besides Leeds, international awards include the first prize at the 2004 Ettlingen Competition (Germany) and the 2005 Clara Haskil Competition (Switzerland). In 2013, Sunwook was selected by the Beethoven-Haus Bonn to become the first beneficiary of its new Mentoring.

2022/23 season. Not to be altered without permission.

PHOTO GALLERY

DISCOGRAPHY

1-Beethoven The Violin Sonatas

Ludwig van Beethoven

Clara-Jumi Kang – Violin
Sunwook Kim – Piano
Accentus Music, October 2021
Recorded at Teldex Studio Berlin, 2020
Cover photo: Patrick Wack

2-Beethoven The Last Three Sonatas

Ludwig van Beethoven: The Last Three Sonatas

Sunwook Kim – Piano
Accentus Music April 2021

3-Schubert Shostakovich & Partos

Schubert, Shostakovich & Partos

Partos: Memorium
Schubert: Arpeggione Sonata in a minor, D821
Shostakovich: Viola Sonata in C major, op.147
Amihai Grosz, viola
Sunwook Kim, piano
Alfa - September 2020

4-Brahms- Piano Concerto No.1(Live) & Six Piano Pieces op.118

Johannes Brahms: Piano Concerto No.1(Live) & Six Piano Pieces op.118

Sunwook Kim – Piano
Myung-Whun Chung – Conductor
Staatskapelle Dresden
Accentus Music, September 2020

5-Isang Enders “Vox Humana”

Isang Enders “Vox Humana”

Claude Debussy
Sonata for Cello and Piano
Beau Soir
Nadia Boulanger
Trois Pieces for Cello and Piano
Berlin Classics - April 2020

6-Brahms Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Johannes Brahms: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Sunwook Kim – Piano
Sir Mark Elder – Conductor
Halle Orchestra
Halle Concerts Soceity - May 2017

7-Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos 8, 14 & 23

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos 8, 14 & 23

Ludwig van Beethoven
"Pathétique“
"Moonlight Sonata“
"Appassionata“
Sunwook Kim – Piano
Accentus Music - February 2017

8-Brahms & Franck Prélude, Choral et Fugue Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, op. 5

Brahms & Franck: Prélude, Choral et Fugue Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, op. 5

Franck: Prélude, Choral et Fugue
Brahms: Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor, op. 5
Accentus Music - March 2016

9-Beethoven Piano Sonatas

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas

No. 21, Op. 53 „Waldstein“
No. 29, Op. 106 “Hammerklavier”
Sunwook Kim – Piano
Accentus Music - October 2015

10-Chin Piano Concerto

Chin: Piano Concerto

Piano Concerto
Cello Concerto
Su for Sheng and Orchestra
Deutsche Grammophone
June 2014

11-Beethoven Concerto No. 5 Emperor

Beethoven: Concerto No. 5 ‘Emperor’

Sunwook Kim
Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra
Myung-Whun Chung
Deutsche Grammophon - April 2013

String Quartett
Quartetto Prometeo