Kim Sun-wook looked tired. He kept rubbing his eyes and had a gaze that screamed “fatigue” as he sat down. But at the same time his face was glowing with a certain sense of fulfillment and confidence.

“We had a party last night,” the pianist said with a smile, trying to conceal a sense of embarrassment. It was Nov. 22, a day after the pianist concluded his two-year challenge of performing 32 Beethoven sonatas over the span of eight recitals at the LG Arts Center and became the youngest Korean to clear the mission.

The turnout was more than promising. Tickets to all performances had sold out quickly and critics praised the maturing pianist.

“Kim has stepped into a whole new level with his Beethoven sonatas. He has added depth and power to the stroke (of his fingers) and his effort and passion were reflected in every note,” Park Je-sung, a music critic, said.

“No, I don’t feel burnt out at all,” Kim said, when asked whether he feels empty and unmotivated after completing a big mission. “It may be because I did it over a long period of time and I know that it is a definite privilege to have presented the pieces to an audience that trusts me,” he said.

“Being able to indulge myself in Beethoven was a true blessing. I have been playing many of his pieces but this time I truly felt connected to the music. You never get sick of it. The world of Beethoven is too huge,” he said. “It isn’t like I didn’t find any points for improvement. But I have poured myself into it and I’m happy,” he said.

From prodigy to virtuoso

In a country where scores of young musicians win international competitions every year, being labeled a “prodigy” is not much of a distinction any more. In
fact, it is considered a bit of a burden. Throughout history people have witnessed the rise and fall of many musicians whose talents gleamed brightly when they were young and dimmed later on.

But it seems that there hasn’t been any jinx for 25-year-old Kim. Kim started learning to play the piano at the age of three. He held his first recital at the age of 13 and became an international sensation as the youngest person in 40 years to win the prestigious Leeds International Piano Competition at the age of 18.

Since then, he has studied at the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts program at the Korea National University of Arts and then at the KNUA. Through his determination ― Kim called himself goal-oriented and more zealous than others ― he won big and small competitions alike, performing with world-class groups that include the London Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw, London Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Radio-France Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic and Bournemouth Symphony orchestras.

Kim admitted that such chances are not given to everyone who likes music and is good at it.

“I can only say that I have been extremely lucky. I know there are people out there who might be better than me but have experienced less media attention or public acknowledgement,” Kim said. “I was lucky that the media wanted to cover me right after I won the Queen Elisabeth (International Music Competition) and was able to work with great orchestras. I was also lucky to sign with great agents and stay in the U.K., experiencing a lot of different things,” he said.

This doesn’t mean Kim is lazy, though. Critics have been writing about the change, or maturation, of his piano playing. While he seemed more explosive on stage in his younger days, he seems to have gained a sense of self-control, they say.

“I don’t know. I think I pour my heart out on stage and I think I am as powerful as I have always been,” Kim said with a laugh. “Maybe I study more. I think a lot about the flow of the piece, I concentrate on each phrase, whether I should strike the key harder or step down on the pedal … things go on forever. It never stops,” he said.

Kim says he has never been this eager to play and perform. Except for his ardent love for wine ― he recalled sharing a Volnay Caillerets with cellist Yang Sung-won (“I was bombarded with the aroma of fruits and honey!” he said) ― his whole life is now focused on classical music. He listens to programs on BBC Radio 3, which are full of classical music and interviews with internationally famous musicians.

“I have never practiced this much and I definitely have higher goals. After I got married (last year) I found a sense of security that allowed me to concentrate on music and on the future. It’s very motivating,” he said.

And so Kim is moving from being a prodigy to becoming a virtuoso, possibly one day a maestro. His role model is the legendary Romanian pianist Radu Lupu. Kim met the particularly reclusive pianist backstage several times. “His performances are so subtle that you just play the CDs as background music. But once you feel like carefully analyzing each performance ... you know it’s heavenly ... something that humans cannot do,” he said. “I want people to simply enjoy my music, as if it sounds effortless. But I will definitely put a lot of effort to it,” he added.

Looking forward

Still, this is just the start of another journey ― Kim is scheduled to perform at the Salle Pleyel in Paris with his “dream piano” on Dec. 9 and at the Forum Theatre in Malvern on Dec. 12. Next year, he will be playing with violist Nobuko Imai and others as a quartet member at the Osaka Phoenix Hall on March 26. But before that, he will perform with the Daniel Harding-led London Symphony Orchestra on March 11.

Kim, who is famous for his Beethoven performances, is determined to explore the worlds of contemporary classical music. He has worked with contemporary composers such as Dai Fujikura, whose “Joule” was dedicated to him and which he premiered, and Chin Un-suk, a Berlin-based Korean composer.

“Chin’s pieces are amazing. They are beautiful and shake your heart and your head!” Kim said. The pianist is scheduled to perform one of Chin’s pieces with the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra and record another piece with Deutsche Grammophon.

Kim, who confessed that he does not care for K-pop and popular culture in general, says his attention to contemporary classical music is a way for him to be a part of the present moment.

“I think I have just as much responsibility to introduce new music to people as I have to play pieces by Beethoven and Brahms that were written 200 years ago,” he said.

Kim is also determined to take his career a step forward in a different direction. He recently graduated from the prestigious Royal Academy of Music’s master’s course in conducting. Kim has said he would take it slow when asked about becoming a conductor since it takes a lot of energy. At the moment, piano is his main concern.

“Staying in London was great. You get to listen to all the greatest orchestras in the world perform and indulge in music. I was motivated. It will come one day,” he said.

For that to happen he will need support from music lovers. He knows he has such support and will have it in the future. On Nov. 21, the last day of his Beethoven recitals, he once again became aware of the depth of the love he has received from admirers. A long queue of fans waited for Kim’s autograph at the concert hall after the performance.

“Some of them told me that they had seen all eight sessions. Some even mentioned my concerts from six to eight years ago ... It gave me mixed feelings. They had literally seen me grow into a musician! This is the scary part of playing in your home country, standing naked in front of people who have known you from the very beginning,” Kim said.

“But it is also the greatest part. They always express their love and cheer for you,” he said.

By Bae Ji-sook

(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)