Pianist Byeol Kim has been thinking about Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto for more than a decade, and she will finally perform the piece for the first time with South Jersey’s Bay Atlantic Symphony.
The Korean-born musician says, “When I can to the United States in 2012, I really wanted to play this piece, but I also wanted to perform works by underrepresented composers.” So, she first turned her attention to a concerto by 20th-century American composer Amy Beach, winning acclaim for her concerts.
She crept closer to the Schumann work last year when she performed a concerto by Robert’s wife and musical partner, Clara. “It’s meaningful that I get to play both Schumanns back-to-back. You can even hear some interchangeable melodies.”
Kim notes that “Clara, a very accomplished pianist, was always there behind his composition and inspiration.” She finds that the two sides of Robert Schumann’s personality — he was known as both an introvert and extrovert — come to life in the Concerto. “The two strands of music are layered throughout the piece. One of the challenges for me is how do I balance the two sides.” She jokes that “I keep myself entertained with this piece,” adding that “it’s not a fancy or fiery concerto like Tchaikovsky’s works, it’s deeper than that.”
Kim is looking forward to collaborating with Bay Atlantic Music Director Jed Gaylin. “We really have similar views about Schumann.” She got to know the Philadelphia area when she won the Philly-based Astral National Auditions in 2019 and has visited often.
Finding the Language of Music
There was a piano in Kim’s childhood home but no one in the family played. She showed a natural interest in the keyboard and by age four she was sounding out songs she heard on TV. She briefly lost interest in the face of a five-hour bus ride from her rural residence for one-hour lessons. Later when visiting New York City she was dazzled by a mentor’s playing. “I saw colors floating in the air,” she says. Her journey to excellence then began, with intensive studies at Seoul National University, Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory and Rice University, ultimately earning a doctorate at Northwestern University.
“My mission is to connect with people who are not normally classical music fans as well as those educated about the music. I love to talk about the music-making process.”
She now divides her time between teaching and organizing a summer music festival at Rollins College in Florida, performing with orchestras and chamber ensembles around the country and raising a young son.
Kim prepared four different concertos for the 2024-25 concert season, and she plans to set aside a month this summer to work on her repertoire for next year.
She will perform the Schumann Concerto at Rowan College of South Jersey on Saturday May 3 at 3 p.m. and Stockton Performing Arts Center on Sunday May 4 at 2p.m. The Bay Atlantic Symphony is a performance and education organization with an artistic vision driven by the philosophy that music is essential to life. The Symphony provides access to excellence in performance and music education that enhances the musicians, presenters, participants and community. Information and tickets
