Kim Il-jin (, born 1956) is a North Korean conductor. He was born in

Manpo Manpo () is a city of northwestern Chagang Province, North Korea. As of 2008, it had an estimated population of 116,760. It looks across the border to the city of Ji'an, Jilin province, China. History Manp'o was incorporated as a city in October ...

, a city of

Jagang Province Chagang Province (Chagangdo; ) is a province in North Korea; it is bordered by China's Jilin and Liaoning provinces to the north, Ryanggang and South Hamgyong to the east, South Pyongan to the south, and North Pyongan to the west. Chagang was f ...

, but he grew up mainly in

Wonsan Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

. He studied

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

Pyongyang University of Music and Dance The Pyongyang University of Music and Dance is a North Korean performing arts university founded in July 1972 in the Taedonggang District of Pyongyang from a merge with the Pyongyang Art College. Its facilities include a full orchestra and a musi ...

. After graduating in 1977, Kim joined the

Mansudae Art Troupe The Mansudae Art Troupe () is a North Korean troupe of musicians that create light-classical operas and music, as well as dance pieces. History The Mansudae Art Troupe is the successor to the Central Art Troupe that was formed on 27 Septembe ...

as a cellist but he turned to conducting shortly after. He went to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and studied conducting at the

Moscow Conservatory The Moscow Conservatory, also officially Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory (russian: Московская государственная консерватория им. П. И. Чайковского, link=no) is a musical educational inst ...

. In 1985, Kim participated in the Herbert von Karajan International Conductors Competition in

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

and took second prize. He is the only North Korean to have won this competition. After returning to North Korea, Kim rejoined the Mansudae Art Troupe as a conductor. He also rehearsed the Troupe's famous Merited Female Instrumental Ensemble and founded the

Isang Yun Orchestra The Isang Yun Orchestra () is a Western-style chamber orchestra in North Korea. Named after the composer Isang Yun, the orchestra is attached to the Isang Yun Music Institute in Pyongyang. History The IYO was established in December 1990 by the c ...

in North Korea. Kim received a title of Merited Artist in 1988. Kim is currently married to Merited Actress Kim Yong-suk.

References

1956 births Living people North Korean musicians 21st-century conductors (music) Moscow Conservatory alumni {{NorthKorea-bio-stub