​Youngjin Kim ​​| Pianist

 

​​Youngjin Kim is a South Korean pianist recognized for her expressive interpretations, bold stage presence, and imaginative programming that bridges classical traditions with contemporary innovation. She has performed in solo recitals, concerto performances, chamber music concerts, and international music festivals across North America, Europe, and Asia. Her recent venue highlights include the Arthur Zankel Music Center in NY, Seiji Ozawa Hall and the Koussevitzky Shed at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Jorden Hall in NEC, Harvard University, the Steinway Society of Puerto Rico, and MusicA at the Academy of Music De Braine-L'Alleud in Belgium.

 

Following her orchestral debut at the age of eleven with the Korean Philharmonic Orchestra at the Yonsei University 100th Anniversary Memorial Hall, Dr. Kim established herself through top honors in numerous national piano competitions. These include prizes in the Korea Times (Hankook-Ilbo), Chopin, Samik-Seiler, Eun-Yeon, Eumak-Chunchu, and Korean Philharmonic Concerto competitions, among many others.

 

In addition to her performance career, Dr. Kim is an active researcher and pedagogue. Her scholarship focuses on the intersection of traditional performance technique and modern compositional language. Her doctoral lecture-recital examined the dialogue between tradition and modernity in Lera Auerbach’s 24 Preludes for Piano, Op. 41, while her conference presentation at the International Piano Professionals Association explored the pedagogical applications of Auerbach's contemporary sonic language. She is also leading an ongoing commissioning initiative that reimagines Korean art songs as virtuosic solo piano paraphrases, drawing on the transcription traditions of Liszt and Godowsky to expand the contemporary concert repertoire. Furthermore, she continues to actively engage with and premiere new works by living, contemporary composers.

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Dr. Kim brings over a decade of private studio teaching experience alongside her higher-education instructional background. She served as an instructor for college courses at Boston University—teaching applied piano, group piano, and aural skills—and currently teaches as a Steinway Educational Partner and Royal Conservatory of Music Certified Instructor.

 

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in Piano Performance from Boston University under the tutelage of Boaz Sharon, as well as a Master of Music and Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University under Alexander Shtarkman. She completed her Bachelor of Music at the Mannes School of Music under Jerome Rose, following her early musical training in South Korea under Kyeong-Sook Lee.