[On Stage] Pianist Kim Junhyung "Hidden Masterpiece, Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 22"

Selected as Resident Musician at Kumho Art Hall... Four Performances This Year
"Remembering 'Nerd' Role... Otaku Traits Help in Music"

"It is a hidden masterpiece." Pianist Kim Jun-hyung explained his reason for choosing Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 22 with these words.

Beethoven left behind 32 piano sonatas throughout his life. No. 21 'Waldstein' and No. 23 'Appassionata' are considered frequently performed masterpieces. Especially No. 23 Appassionata, along with No. 8 'Pathetique' and No. 14 'Moonlight,' is regarded as one of the three great sonatas. Sonata No. 22, sandwiched between these famous pieces, receives relatively little attention. It is even nicknamed the 'poor sonata' to that extent.

However, Kim Jun-hyung said, "I first played it by chance at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts, and when I played it myself, I was surprised at how much I liked the piece."

On the 11th, Kim Jun-hyung will perform Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 22 on the first stage of this year's resident musician series at Kumho Art Hall. He will also present Brahms' 'Piano Sonata No. 3' and Bach's 'French Suite No. 4 for Keyboard' and 'Chorale Prelude for Organ.'

The Kumho Art Hall resident musician program offers prize-winning performers multiple opportunities to perform on the Kumho Art Hall stage over a year to provide a greater platform for growth. Kim Jun-hyung is scheduled to appear three more times in May, August, and November.

Resident musician at Kumho Art Hall, pianist Kim Junhyung [Photo by Kumho Cultural Foundation]

As a resident musician, the theme of the four stages curated by Kim Jun-hyung is 'Short Stories.' Short stories refer to very brief narratives that can be written on a leaf. This theme reflects his intention to concisely showcase his music across the four performances. He also mentioned that he enjoys reading books. His favorite novelist is Kim Yeon-su, and he is currently reading his work 'Too Many Summers.'

Kim Jun-hyung said that he naturally immersed himself in piano by following his two-years-older sister's piano lessons when he was young. His sister is pianist Kim Kyung-min. He began formal piano lessons in the fifth grade of elementary school. Four years later, in 2012, he debuted with the Kumho Young Artist Concert. He gained recognition by winning the 2021 Seoul International Music Competition and placing second in the piano category at the 2022 ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Germany.

He recalled a judge's comment at the time of his 2021 Seoul International Music Competition win, saying, "You seem like a nerd." "The word 'nerd' has a dual meaning?it can imply being uncool or being a model student. I guess I have a bit of an otaku tendency, and it seems to suit me well. That trait really helps me when making music."

He said that when he was struggling a lot with music, he received the offer to become a resident musician and felt it was like fate.

"Although there is no correct answer in art, performers are said to have to derive something and persuade the audience. But in fact, that performance on stage is not the correct answer; my thoughts might change tomorrow or even during the performance. In that sense, I think the journey I am on is an endless journey toward infinity."

Kim Jun-hyung said, "Since last year, I have been performing in Korea, but I think I have been trying to hide my problems while performing. When the resident musician stage ends, I hope to become a performer who acknowledges and accepts my shortcomings."