Starting piano at six, Jeonghwan Kim has captivated audiences in Berlin, Hamburg, and Aarhus with his virtuosity. First prize-winner at the 2023 Sydney International Piano Competition, Jeonghwan shares his excitement ahead of his nine-date national tour in Australia across SA, WA, and NSW.
1. You recently won the First Prize and Eileen Joyce Best Overall Concerto Prize at the Sydney International Piano Competition. How has this achievement impacted your career and what has the journey been like since?
It has deeply impacted my career and many other aspects of my life. I was invited to play in different countries quite a few times this year, so I travelled much more than usual. Those travels were valuable experiences that will hopefully help enrich my musical ideas. For now, I am looking forward to being in Australia again.
2. Your program for the Canberra concert includes works by Beethoven, Bartók, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff. What inspired your selection of these pieces, and what do you hope to convey through this repertoire?
The first and second halves are total opposites, with the first half being full of ‘joie de vivre’ and humorous elements, while the second half mainly explores the darker side of our lives. Combined, I thought that this program much resembles our lives and that everyone can relate to each moment of the pieces in their own way.
3. At just 23, you’ve already been described as having “extraordinary dynamism” and a “deeply impressive” stage presence. How do you maintain such energy and connection with the audience during your performances?
I think it’s just that I have the most fun while performing on stage. I feel very grateful for everyone sitting in the audience for deciding to come to my concert and listen to my performance. It is a huge motivation for me.
4. Can you share a memorable experience from your post-competition winners tour that particularly stood out to you, and how it has influenced your approach to performing?
It was actually my first tour, performing almost the same program multiple times (although I did allow myself to modify the program slightly each time). So, the whole tour was a very special experience for me.
5. What are your thoughts on performing at the Wesley Music Centre in Canberra, and what can the audience expect from your performance there?
It will be my second time there, and I already look forward to it very much. I don’t know what the audience can expect from my performance because I don’t know it myself. However, one clear thing is that the pieces I’ve chosen (with great difficulty) will be the ones I love the most at the time I play there.
In 2024, Jeonghwan Kim will be in concert in Adelaide SA, Bunbury WA, Perth WA, Wagga Wagga NSW, Canberra ACT, Bundanoon NSW, Gunnedah NSW, Tamworth NSW, Coffs Harbour NSW, more information here.
He will also perform in Melbourne and Sydney with violinist Yeyeong Jenny Jin as part of the Young Virtuosi series. More info.