Biography

 Award-winning pianist Edwin Kim performs as a recitalist, chamber musician and orchestral soloist across the North America and in his native South Korea. Praised by International Piano Magazine for performances infused with “magic in atmosphere, individuality and poise,” his repertoire encompasses timeless masterpieces of the piano literature along with innovative new compositions. 

In August 2022, his piano trio Suits had their sold-out recital “Hidden Figures” as part of the Seoul Arts Center’s Summer Music Festival, presenting all-women composer program from the Romantic period. His other recent career highlights include solo recitals at the IBK Chamber Hall of the Seoul Arts Center (2021) and Youngsan Art Hall (2022), and the “3 PIANOS” concert presented by his former management, IMG Artists Seoul, at the Concert Hall of the Seoul Arts Center (2021). Dr. Kim also appeared on KBS FM Radio "Auf Flügeln des Gesanges” as a collaborative pianist for soprano Sunhae Im and Samuel Youn, a crossover chamber music concert with traditional Korean music instrumentalists in November, 2021. 

As a dedicated advocate of contemporary music, Dr. Kim founded Ensemble Evolve, whose mission is to pair the standard repertoire with newly commissioned contemporary works to mitigate the stereotypical gap between the two stylistic periods. Ensemble Evolve presented its inaugural concert at the Sejong Centre for the Performing Arts in 2020 and its second production featuring the Red Snapper Quintet composed by the Pulitzer Prize winner, Kevin Puts, at the Seoul Arts Center in January 2021. 

Edwin works with the renowned composer-pianist Dongchang Lim who re-interpreted the traditional Korean Art music to be performed on any musical instruments while maintaining the authentic spirituality and musical foundations of it. His research led to his debut album “ARIRANG VARIATIONS,” a 51-minute work composed by Dongchang Lim on the globally recognized Korean folk tune. 

Edwin Kim won the first prize and the Best Polonaise Prize at the 3rd Australian International Chopin Piano Competition in Canberra, AU. His other competition achievements include the first prizes at 2011 Jefferson Symphony International Young Artists Competition in Colorado and the 2009 South Orange Symphony Orchestra Artist Competition, the fourth prize at the 2010 Isang Yun International Music Competition in Tongyeong, Korea, and the third prize at the 2009 Manchester International Piano Competition in Manchester, U.K.

Appearances as a soloist with orchestra include performances with Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Yangpyeong Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Camerata in England, Changwon Municipal Philharmonic Orchestra among many. He has performed as part of YAMAHA Rising Artist Series, at the Sydney Opera House, the Seoul Arts Center, and Sejong Centre for the Performing Arts. In 2015, he was heard by thousands in the New York metropolitan region performing an all-Chopin recital live on WWFM radio.

Edwin Kim received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, where he earned his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees as well. His teachers include the Chopin-specialist Brian Ganz and the renowned artist-teacher Yong Hi Moon. Previously, he studied for four years with the eminent pianist Martin Canin at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division in New York.

Since 2015, Edwin Kim has been serving on the faculty alongside the principals and concertmasters of the major orchestras of Europe and North America at the Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy in British Columbia, and joined the faculty for the Piano at Peabody (an amateur summer course) in 2016.