Instrument Others Archive - Korean Concert Society

Instrument: Others

2014 | Raphaël Sévère, Clarinet

Performance Date: Mar. 30, 2014

Discovered by the general public at the age of 12 on the radio (France Musique), Raphaël Sévère currently ranks as one of the most brilliant representatives of the French school of clarinet. Raphaël Sévère received a very early musical education: the piano, the violin and the cello. Aged 8, he took up the clarinet at the Conservatoire of Nantes while continuing studying the piano. A 14, he was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique of Paris with unanimous acclaim from the jury. He obtained in June 2013 the master’s degree with high honors.

The KCS Composer-in-Residence for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, Quentin Kim, creates emotionally compelling music based on his conviction in the “perpetual modernity of tonality.” His music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, New York Society for Ethical Culture, Salle Cortot in Paris, Cajastur Cultural Center in Gijón, Spain, as well as at the Concerts at the Crossroads series in Cleveland. Kim’s work has been praised for its “refreshingly direct” (New York Concert Review) quality. Also an outstanding pianist, Kim earned a doctorate in Piano Performance at Julliard in 2010.

Performance Date: May. 2, 2009

Praised by the London Times as “ravishing” the Los Angeles Times as “technically immaculate” the Seattle Times as “fantastic” the Boston Globe as “sensational” the San Francisco Chronicle for his “fierce virtuosity”, and the and the New York Times as “high class” with an “elegant, velvety tone” violist Richard O’Neill is one of the very few violists ever to receive an Avery Fisher Career Grant as well as a Grammy Award Nomination.

Performance Date: Sep. 27, 2003

Won-Jin Jo, born in Flushing, New York, was 16 when he was named a winner of the 2001 New York Philharmonic Young Artists’ Competition. He subsequently made his New York Philharmonic debut at a Young People’s Concert in 2001 under Kurt Masur. He was re-engaged for a five-concert tour with the New York Philharmonic in 2003 under Roberto Minczuk.

2003 | Jasmine Nakyung Choi, Flute

Jasmine Nakyung Choi did not perform at the Kennedy Center as scheduled on September 26, 2003, due to a conflicting engagement in Vienna. The alternate candidate for 2003, clarinettist Won-Jin Jo, performed instead.

Flutist Jasmine Choi, a native of Korea, is an active soloist, chamber musician, and full-time orchestral musician. She has been critically acclaimed on international stages for her rich tone, technical brilliance, superb musicianship, and charismatic stage presence. At the age of 22, she was appointed Associate Principal Flute of the Cincinnati Symphony under the music director Paavo Jarvi and became the first Korean woodwind player to hold a post with a major orchestra in the United States.

Korean Concert Society’s first ever Composer in Residence Jeeyoung Kim writes music that harmonizes the unique cultural aspects from Eastern and Western traditions. Recent works include two pieces, “Tryst” and “Ancient Bell”, that were commissioned and toured worldwide by the Silk Road Ensemble lead by Yo-Yo Ma. She has served as a composer-in-residence for Chanticleer, a Grammy Award winning choir, and she is currently a composer-in-residence for San Francisco Performances.

Performance Date: Oct. 2, 1999

Byung-Soon Lee, soprano, a native of South Korea, received her Bachelor of Music degree at Yon-Sei University in Seoul, Korea. She won various competitions in Korea–the KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) Young Artist Competition, Dongah Music Competition, and many more. She received her Master of Music degree at Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland where she studied with Ruth Drucker and Mark Markham and completed the prestigious Artist Diploma program.

Performance Date: Nov. 14, 1998

Praised as a “top notch conductor-less string orchestra” by the Washington Post, International Sejong Soloists (ISS) was founded in New York City in 1995 and met with immediate success. Since its inception ISS has given more than 200 concerts throughout the United States, Europe, and the Far East. Uniquely comprised of today’s leading young soloists, International Sejong Soloists is known for its cohesiveness, beautiful sound, and refreshing musical style in performing string orchestral works as well as solo and chamber repertoire.

Performance Date: Nov. 14, 1992

This piano trio featured Kyung-Ah Kim (vl), Yun Jung Huh (vc), and Kyung Un Rhee (pf).

Performance Date: Oct. 24, 1987

In 1987, Korean Concert Society presented a concert featuring three young performers from Seoul.