Bomsori Kim (, born December 13, 1989) is a South Korean classical violinist. She performs as a

recitalist A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

and as a soloist with leading orchestras and conductors. As a violinist, Bomsori has won prizes at ten international violin competitions, including the Tchaikovsky, Queen Elisabeth, ARD, Sibelius, Montreal,

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, desig ...

, Wieniawski,

Joachim Joachim (; ''Yəhōyāqīm'', "he whom Yahweh has set up"; ; ) was, according to Christian tradition, the husband of Saint Anne and the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Biblical apocryphal ...

, China (Qingdao), and Schoenfeld. She has recorded for the major record labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and Warner Classics. Bomsori is the first Asian female violinist to sign an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon as a star violinist. She currently plays on 1725 Guarneri del Gesù violin "ex-Moller" on loan through the generous efforts of Samsung Foundation of Korea and

Stradivari Society The Stradivari Society is a philanthropic organization based in Chicago, Illinois, best known for its arranging deals between owners of antique string instruments such as those made by luthiers Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri, for use by t ...

. She previously played on the 1774 J.B. Guadagnini Turin, on loan to her from

Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation Co, Ltd. () is a music, art, and entertainment company. It is headquartered in Sinmunro-1-ga Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea. Established in 1977, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kumho Asiana Group. Kumho Asiana Cultu ...

Early life and education

Bomsori was born in

Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...

, South Korea, on December 13, 1989. She first started playing the violin at the age of 5. She moved to Seoul to attend Yewon Arts School. Bomsori earned a Bachelor's degree at

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

, studied with

Young Uck Kim Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...

, and obtained a Master’s degree and Artist Diploma at The Juilliard School under Sylvia Rosenberg and Ronald Copes as a full-scholarship recipient.

Musical career

As a soloist, she has appeared at numerous venues worldwide, such as

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

, Lincoln Center David Geffen Hall, and Alice Tully Hall in New York, Musikverein Golden Hall in Vienna,

Tchaikovsky Hall Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

in Moscow, Philharmonia Hall in St. Petersburg, Slovak Radio Concert Hall in Bratislava, Finlandia Hall in Helsinki,

Herkulessaal The Residenz (, ''Residence'') in central Munich is the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs of Bavaria. The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open to visitors for its architecture, room decorations, and displ ...

and Prinzregententheater in Munich, Berlin Philharmonic Hall and Konzerthaus in Berlin, Warsaw Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, NOSPR Hall in Katowice, Rudolfinum and Smetana Hall in Prague, Tonhalle in Zürich, Opera City Hall and

Suntory Hall The is a concert venue in the central Akasaka district of Tokyo, Japan. Part of the Ark Hills complex, it consists of a main concert hall, widely considered one of the finest in the world for its acoustics — indeed Herbert von Karajan called i ...

in Tokyo, and Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall. Bomsori has performed with numerous orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, Bayerischer Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra,

National Orchestra of Belgium The Belgian National Orchestra ( nl, Nationaal Orkest van België, french: Orchestre National de Belgique) is a Belgian orchestra, based in Brussels. Its principal concert venue is the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar). The orchestra also gi ...

, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, and

NDR Radiophilharmonie The NDR Radiophilharmonie is a German radio orchestra, affiliated with the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) in Hanover, the capital of Lower Saxony. The orchestra principally gives concerts in the ''Großer Sendesaal'' of the ''Landesfunkhaus Niedersa ...

, amongst others. Bomsori has appeared at numerous festivals, such as the Lucerne Festival,

Rheingau Musik Festival The (RMF) is an international summer music festival in Germany, founded in 1987. It is mostly for classical music, but includes other genres. Concerts take place at culturally important locations, such as Eberbach Abbey and Schloss Johannisberg, ...

, Heidelberger Frühling, Gstaad Festival, Dvořák Festival ( Rudolfinum in Prague). In 2019, she was Artist-soloist-in-residence at Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra and

Artist-in-residence Artist-in-residence, or artist residencies, encompass a wide spectrum of artistic programs which involve a collaboration between artists and hosting organisations, institutions, or communities. They are programs which provide artists with space a ...

at Iserlohn Musik Festival in Germany.

Discography

In 2017, Warner Classics released Bomsori’s debut album ''Wieniawski/Shostakovich'' with maestro

Jacek Kaspszyk Jacek Kaspszyk (born 10 August 1952) is a Polish music conductor and was the Music and Artistic Director of the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra from 2013 until the close of the 2018/2019 season. In 2012, he was awarded the Elgar Medal. In ...

and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 2 and Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1. The ''

BBC Music Magazine ''BBC Music Magazine'' is a British monthly magazine that focuses primarily on classical music. History The first issue appeared in September 1992. BBC Worldwide, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC was the original owner and publisher toget ...

'' praised her playing as with "centred tone and a strong rhythmic thrust", and '' The Strad'' magazine opined "I can't remember when I last enjoyed this concerto so much." In 2018, the album was nominated for the Frederyk Music Award in the category Album of the Year – Orchestral Music. In 2019, Deutsche Grammophon released her second album ''Faure, Debussy, Szymanowski, Chopin'' with pianist

Rafał Blechacz Rafał Blechacz (; born 30 June 1985) is a Polish classical pianist who rose to fame after decisively winning the XV International Chopin Piano Competition in 2005. Biography Blechacz began piano lessons at the age of five, and enrolled in the ...

. The '' Gramophone Magazine'' praised her playing as "direct and ardent, with mahogany-hued lower registers contrasting with sweetly ringing, singing upper ones". In 2020, she won her first Frederyk Music Award for the Best Polish Album Abroad. In 2021, Bomsori released her debut album on Deutsche Grammophon, ''Violin on Stage,'' with conductor

Giancarlo Guerrero Giancarlo Guerrero (born 1969) is a Costa Rican, Nicaraguan-born, US-based music director. He is the music director of the Nashville Symphony in Nashville, Tennessee. Guerrero is also Music Director of the Wrocław Philharmonic at the National Fo ...

and NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic Orchestra, and it received critical acclaim for her outstanding musicianship and performance. The album features her interpretations of some of the most beloved and popular classical violin pieces including works by

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

, Tchaikovsky, and Ravel, showcasing her virtuosity, musicality, and versatility as a performer. Bomsori's expressive and emotive playing, combined with her technical mastery of the violin, make this album a must-listen for classical music fans. Additionally, her dynamic and engaging performances make this album a great introduction to classical music for those new to the genre.

Awards and recognitions

* 2010 – Sendai International Music Competition – Fourth Prize, Audience Prize * 2010 –

International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition The International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, named after Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, is a competition for violinists up to age 30. It is held every five years in Helsinki. The first competition took place in year 1965, eight years after ...

– Laureate * 2011 – China International Violin Competition (Qingdao) – First Prize, Classical Music Prize, "Lin Yaoji" Prize for Outstanding Artist * 2012 –

International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition The International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition, Hanover (also: International Violin Competition Hanover or Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hanover) is one of the best-endowed awards worldwide. * 2013 – ARD International Music Competition Munich – Top Prize, Special Prize for the Commissioned Piece * 2013 – Sendai International Music Competition – Fifth Prize * 2015 –

Queen Elisabeth Competition The Queen Elisabeth Competition ( nl, Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd, french: Concours musical international Reine Élisabeth) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in Brussels. The competition is named after Queen ...

– Laureate * 2015 – International Tchaikovsky Competition – Fifth Prize * 2016 – Montreal International Musical Competition – Second Prize, Radio Canada People’s Choice Prize * 2016 – Schoenfeld International String Competition – Second Prize * 2016 – Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition – Second Prize, Critic’s Prize, nine additional Special Prizes * 2018 – Today’s Young Artist Award held by Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism * 2018 – The Album of the Year Orchestral Music (Nominated) – Frederyk Music Award * 2018 – Forbes Korea 30 under 30 * 2019 – Young Artist Award held by Korean Music Association * 2020 – G.rium Artist Award held by

SK Gas SK may refer to: Businesses and organizations * SK Foods, an American agribusiness company * SK Hand Tools, an American tool manufacturer * Sangguniang Kabataan, Philippines youth councils * SK Group, South Korean conglomerate * Scandinavian Air ...

* 2020 – The Best Polish Album Abroad – Frederyk Music Award

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Bomsori Women classical violinists South Korean classical violinists Seoul Arts High School alumni Juilliard School alumni Seoul National University alumni 1989 births Deutsche Grammophon artists Living people 21st-century women musicians 21st-century classical violinists 21st-century South Korean musicians People from Daegu