Byeol Kim, piano

Pianist Byeol Kim (also known as Saetbyeol Kim) has earned a reputation for her “ingeniously colorful imagination with stage charisma” (Agata Nowakowska), remarking “hushed performances as an operatic singer on the piano” (Cleveland Classical). A winner of Astral’s 2019 National Auditions, her creative artistry not only shines through her performances, but is also reflected in her visual arts projects. It led her to earn the Creative Digital Challenge Award by The Music Academy of the West in 2020. Ms.Kim has also been a top prizewinner of the Cleveland Virtu(al)oso Competition, Paderewski, Washington, Dallas and other International Piano competitions. 

Ms. Kim’s passion in broadening the spectrum of the music embodies the society through her programming by including minor composers. In her US debut, she featured a female American composer, Amy Beach’s piano concerto, with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and was acclaimed to “impress with energy and freshness” (The Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy). She is also keen to adapt to new formats of music with the goal to communicate with a bigger audience. Through her engagements online, while sharing her performances and thoughts on social media, she is gaining more attention as a leader of the new generation. 

While engaging with the local community through the Sviatoslav Richter Grant from 2016 to 2018, she completed her annual projects in recording her insightful repertoires “The mid-length fantasies and literature” and also conducting Mozart Piano Concertos from the piano. With her exquisite visions, she receives invitations to judge young artist competitions and give recitals. She's a candidate for a Doctorate degree at Northwestern University.