Daejin Kim (South Korea) ← Back to list

Daejin Kim is one of the most leading pianists and pedagogues in Korea. He won in 1985 the first prize in the prestigious 6th Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition (presently, the Cleveland Competition). In 1986, he made his New York debut and received an exceptionally favorable review from the critic for the New York Times who wrote that "Daejin Kim demonstrated all the accouterments necessary for a successful solo career. Since then, he has performed in recital and with orchestra in major cities throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

In 1994, Daejin Kim family moved to Korea and since then he has become a prime example of that rare individual who is able to successfully combine both the demanding careers of a concert artist and the most productive teacher. His master classes have drawn international recognition and at the same time, he has been able to maintain a full schedule of performances such as a historic one-day performance of the complete Beethoven's Piano Concertos, and the complete cycle of the Mozart Piano Concertos. His recent discography includes 2 Piano Concertos by Mozart (K.488 & K.453), which he conducted the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra from the keyboard (Sony Label).

In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded 'the Professor of the Year' Award by the Music Association of Korea, and he received a decoration for 'the Artist of the Year' by the Ministry of Culture in Korea. In 2023, he was awarded 3.1 Culture Award, the most prestigious award, given to the artist who made the greatest contribution.

Daejin Kim has been on jury member for the prestigious competitions including the Queen Elisabeth, Rubinstein, Clara Haskil, Padarewski, Hamamatsu, Beethoven(Bonn and Vienna) , Busoni, Gina Bachauer, and the Leeds International Competitions.

Daejin Kim received a Bachelor's, a Master's, and a Doctoral degree from the Juilliard School. He has been a professor in piano department for 30 years, and he is currently the President of the Korea National University of Arts.