[On Stage] Yubin Kim's First Full-Length Album "Embracing the Tradition of Flute and French Music"

"The tradition of the instrument called the flute is deeply rooted in France. Famous flutists are almost always French, and the major flute pieces are also composed by French composers."

Flutist Kim Yubin explained the reason why she filled her first full-length album 'Poeme (Poem)' with pieces by French composers in this way. It was at a press conference held on the 9th at Sounds S in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. On that day, her first full-length album 'Poeme' was released by Sony Classical.

The five composers Kim Yubin included in the album are C?sar Franck (1822?1890), Claude Debussy (1862?1918), Francis Poulenc (1899?1963), Henri Dutilleux (1916?2013), and Pierre Boulez (1916?2008). "I structured the album with Impressionism, late Romanticism, and 20th-century contemporary music." Kim Yubin explained that she personally selected both the pieces included in the album and the subtitle 'Poeme.'

Regarding her first full-length album, Kim Yubin said, "It feels like a dream come true." "For a musician, releasing an album that directly captures their own voice and the sound of their instrument is very important. So releasing my album, which is called the musician's business card, was a dream. That dream has come true, and I am truly moved."

Flutist Kim Yubin is explaining about her first full-length album 'Poeme' at a press conference held on the 9th at SoundsS in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Mok Production

There are also reactions that it is surprising that Kim Yubin filled her first full-length album with pieces by 19th and 20th-century composers. This is because she has shown considerable interest in 17th and 18th-century Baroque music until now.

Today, the flute is made of metal, but the Baroque-era flute was made of wood. Compared to the modern metal flute, the wooden flute has limitations in terms of expression, but Kim Yubin likes the warm feeling of the wooden flute and has performed Baroque music using a wooden flute.

Regarding why she did not choose Baroque music for her first full-length album, Kim Yubin said, "Because it is my first album, I wanted to introduce it to the public. I wanted to present lively, exciting, and active works for my first album." She explained, "I structured the album with pieces that a flutist must perform and major works for the flute."

The accompaniment was provided by pianist Kim Dohyun, who won second place at the 2021 Busoni International Piano Competition. Kim Yubin said she had watched Kim Dohyun's Busoni Competition performances many times and that because he is technically very skilled, they were able to share a lot of musical communication focusing on the musical aspects.

"Franck's 'Sonata for Violin and Piano' is a piece where the piano plays a very significant role, so the pianist's skill is really important. I felt that my performance improved by being inspired by the pianist. I realized once again how important it is to collaborate with musicians."

After graduating from Yewon School, Kim Yubin went to France at the age of 16 to study at the Lyon National Conservatory of Music. She focused intensively on flute performance techniques at that time. In December 2016, when she was 19, Kim Yubin was appointed the youngest principal flutist of the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra. In October of the following year, she was finally appointed as the permanent principal flutist and gained experience performing on various stages with world-class musicians for seven years at the Berlin Konzerthaus Orchestra. In August last year, she was suddenly appointed principal flutist of the San Francisco Symphony, led by world-renowned conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen as music director, and moved her base to the western United States in January this year. Although she is still young at 27, she has accumulated considerable experience performing with prestigious orchestras worldwide.

Flutist Kim Yubin is performing Claude Debussy's "Syrinx for Solo Flute" from her first full-length album "Poeme" at a press conference held on the 9th at SoundsS in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Mok Production

She said, "Through various experiences, I think I am becoming a musician who communicates more with colleagues." She said that European and American orchestras are culturally very different and that she is satisfied with her life at the San Francisco Symphony.

"When I was in Europe, there were not many opportunities to speak directly with conductors. But in the U.S., all the members feel like friends, and I have many conversations with the principal conductor. As I communicate more with the conductor, I feel more comfortable within the orchestra."

As can be seen from the inclusion of Dutilleux and Boulez's pieces in her first full-length album, Kim Yubin is interested not only in Baroque music, which can be considered the beginning of classical music, but also in contemporary music. She said she wants to perform a lot of contemporary music in the future.

"Maybe because it is an American orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony performs many contemporary works that are difficult to perform. By performing new contemporary music, I want to create new sounds and expand my scope as a performer."

To commemorate the release of her first full-length album, Kim Yubin will hold a solo recital on the 18th at the Concert Hall of Seoul Arts Center. She plans to perform the pieces included in the 'Poeme' album in order. Following the Seoul performance, she will also perform at Clara House in Daejeon on the 25th, Daegu Concert House on the 27th, and Busan Cultural Center on the 28th.