Con Brio music series returns with Clara-Jumi Kang and Sunwook Kim
CON Brio, who have been presenting classical music concerts in Sligo for more than 20 years, have launched the programme for their 2022-23 Sligo Music Series.
The series comprises seven concerts featuring both international and Irish performers of the highest calibre. Some old friends return – rising star pianist Michael McHale, the Callino Quartet, the Degani Piano Trio and the Irish Chamber Orchestra. The ICO will be directed by one of the most notable and exciting keyboard artists (equally at home on piano or harpsichord) performing today, Kristian Bezuidenhout. The Degani Piano Trio’s concert in January celebrates the tango inspired works of Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla.
The first concert in the new series takes place tomorrow, Friday. The performers are two world-renowned virtuoso musicians, violinist Clara-Jumi Kang and pianist Sunwook Kim. Born in Germany in 1987 to Korean parents, both of whom are renowned opera singers, Clara-Jumi Kang made her concerto debut at the age of five with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. Recognised as a child prodigy, she won a full scholarship to the Juilliard School at the age of nine.
Since completing her studies she has performed with major orchestras worldwide, including the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, the NHK Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestras in Japan and the NCPA Beijing Orchestra. She has won several prestigious violin competitions including Seoul in 2009, Sendai in 2010 and most recently the Indianapolis International in 2020. Clara-Jumi currently plays the 1708 ‘Ex-Strauss’ Stradivarius, generously loaned to her by the Samsung Cultural Foundation Korea.
Clara-Jumi Kang.
Sunwook Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1988. He began studying the piano at the age of three. He gave his debut recital aged 10 and this was followed by his concerto debut two years later. He won the Leeds International Piano Competition aged just 18, becoming the competition’s youngest winner for 40 years, as
Sunwook Kim
well as its first Asian winner. Kim’s performance of Brahms Piano Concerto in D minor with The Hallé and Sir Mark Elder in the competition’s final won unanimous praise from the press, and led to concerto engagements with UK’s finest orchestras as well as various recitals around Europe.
At the time of the competition, Kim was a student at the Korea National University of Arts. He had also previously won the IX Ettlingen Competition and the XVIII Concours Clara Haskil. He was awarded the Artist of the Year prizes from the Daewon Cultural Foundation in 2005 and Kumho Asiana Group in 2007. He has received MA degree for conducting from Royal Academy of Music in 2013.
In 2021 both Clara-Jumi and Sunwook recorded the complete Beethoven Violin Sonata cycle on the Accentus label. Recorded during lockdown in Beethoven’s anniversary year, the sonatas were a personal homage to the composer by Clara-Jumi after more than 15 years performing the Beethoven Violin Concerto. The release is currently receiving rave reviews leading Fanfare to state: “If you’re looking for a set of Beethoven’s sonatas for violin and piano that is well-nigh ideal, this one by Clara-Jumi Kang and Sunwook Kim is it.”
The programme for this concert includes of course one of Beethoven’s sonatas, the Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 12, No. 1. It also includes Respighi’s Sonata for violin and piano, César Franck’s Violin Sonata in A major (considered by many to be one of the finest sonatas ever written) together with a world premiere of a new work commissioned by Music Network from Irish composer John Buckley.
This concert promises to be an outstanding musical experience featuring as it does two outstanding, world-class musicians performing an exceptional programme of sonatas for violin and piano.
Tickets for this concert which takes place in The Model cost €20/€10 for students and they can be obtained from The Model, phone 071 9141405 or go online at www.themodel.ie.