Violinist led chamber orchestra for 45 years, championing Korean classical music globally
Award ceremony set for Nov. 3 at Seoul Arts Center; prize carries 30 million won
Kim Min, a violinist and music director who has led the Korean Chamber Orchestra (KCO) for 45 years, has been named the recipient of the 9th Sungjeong Arts Award.
The Sungjeong Cultural Foundation said Kim was selected this year in recognition of contributions to the development of Korean classical music and the elevation of its international standing. The award ceremony will be held Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall. The prize carries 30 million won ($22,500), sponsored by I&C Technology.
Kim refounded the Seoul Baroque Ensemble in 1980 and has served as music director through its evolution into the present-day Korean Chamber Orchestra — a tenure spanning 45 years that has made Kim one of the defining figures in Korean chamber music. Trained at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre in Germany, Kim previously served as concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra, inaugural concertmaster of the KBS Symphony Orchestra, and dean of the College of Music at Seoul National University.
Kim has led more than 900 performances at major international festivals, including the Rheingau Musik Festival, the Warsaw Beethoven Easter Festival and the George Enescu Festival, bringing Korean chamber music to the world stage.
Kim has also devoted considerable effort to mentoring the next generation and fostering international musical exchange. Kim has served as a juror at the Queen Elisabeth, Tchaikovsky and Henryk Wieniawski international competitions, and is currently a member of the National Academy of Arts of Korea and an honorary professor at Seoul National University. Past honors include the Order of Cultural Merit (Bogwan), the Polish Cultural Medal and the grand prize of the Daewon Music Award.
The Sungjeong Arts Award was established in 2018 by the Sungjeong Cultural Foundation to honor artists who have dedicated themselves to the advancement of culture and the arts in Korea. Past recipients include violinist Chung Kyung-wha, pianist Paik Kun-woo and conductor Lim Hun-joung.
The foundation said it highly valued Kim's long-standing efforts to raise the international profile of Korean classical music while nurturing emerging talent and preserving musical heritage.
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