Clara jumi kang biography of christopher

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clara jumi kang biography of christopher

A devoted chamber musician, she regularly visits chamber music festivals and collaborates with renowned musicians including Janine Jansen, Gidon Kremer and Mischa Maisky.

Later in the season she returns to the Israel Philharmonic for the third time since her debut in September 2023, to the Seoul Philharmonic for concerts in Lotte Concert Hall as well as on their domestic tour alongside Music Director Jaap van Zweden, before debuts with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Ottawa, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, the Utah Symphony Orchestra, the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.

Issued by Fontec in 2012 with pianist Yuya Tsuda, the disc features Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30 No. 2; Ravel's Violin Sonata No. 2; and Wieniawski's Légende, Op. 17, capturing her competition performance's virtuosity and expressiveness.[39] A companion concerto recording from the same event pairs her with the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra under Pascal Verrot in Bruch's Violin Concerto No.

1, further documenting her breakthrough in international competitions.[40]Kang has also contributed to live recordings from prestigious festivals, including appearances at the Verbier Festival. Reception noted the album's elegant balance and emotional resonance, reinforcing Kang's reputation for refined, communicative performances.[35][36]

Other recordings

In addition to her Decca releases, Clara-Jumi Kang has pursued collaborative chamber music projects on other labels, showcasing her partnership with acclaimed pianists.

Clara-Jumi Kang plays the “Thunis” Stradivarius from 1702, on generous loan by KIA.

 

As of January 2025

At age seven, she received a full scholarship to the Juilliard School in New York, where she studied under Dorothy DeLay, and later trained with Zakhar Bron at the Lübeck Musikhochschule.[2] She completed her Bachelor and Master's degrees at the Korean National University of Arts under Nam-Yun Kim before finishing her studies at the Munich Musikhochschule with Christoph Poppen.[1] Her debut with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra at age five marked the start of a career that saw her perform with major ensembles like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim by age twelve.[2]Among her most notable achievements are first prizes at the Indianapolis International Violin Competition in 2010, the Sendai International Violin Competition, and the Seoul International Violin Competition, along with five additional awards at Indianapolis.[2] She received the Daewon Music Award in 2012 and was named Kumho Musician of the Year in 2015, while also being selected as one of Korea's top 100 most promising and influential people by the Dong-A Times in 2012.[1] These accolades have propelled her to perform with prestigious orchestras worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, and BBC Symphony Orchestra at the 2022 BBC Proms.[4]In her recording career, Kang has released albums on Decca Classics, including Modern Solo featuring works by Schubert and Ysaÿe, and a Brahms/Schumann program with pianist Yeol-Eum Son.[1] She also completed a cycle of Beethoven's Violin Sonatas with pianist Sunwook Kim on Accentus Music in 2021.[2] Kang performs on the "Thunis" Stradivarius violin of 1702, on generous loan from KIA Motors.[1] As of 2025, she continues an active schedule with debuts and returns at venues like the Hollywood Bowl, Salzburg Festival, and BBC Philharmonic, alongside recital tours in Europe and Asia.[1]

Early life and education

Family background and early years

Clara-Jumi Kang was born on June 10, 1987, in Mannheim, Germany, to South Korean parents who are both accomplished opera singers.

She was selected as one of the top 100 “Most promising and influential people of Korea” in 2012 by major Korean newspaper Dong-A Times and was awarded the Daewon Music Award (2012) for her outstanding international achievements as well as Kumho Musician of the Year

(2015).


Clara-Jumi Kang has made two recordings for Decca: “Modern Solo” featuring works including Schubert’s “Last Rose”, “Erlkönig” and Ysaÿe Sonatas, and a

Brahms/Schumann album with Yeol-Eum Son.


A devoted chamber musician, she regularly visits chamber music festivals and

collaborates with renowned musicians including Janine Jansen, Gidon Kremer and

Mischa Maisky.


Born in Germany to a musical family, Clara-Jumi Kang took up the violin at the age of three and a year later enrolled as the youngest ever student at the Mannheim

Musikhochschule.

She will also perform a recital tour across Korea, culminating at Seoul Arts Center, and make her recital debuts at the Boulez Saal in Berlin and the Hong Kong City Hall, and perform solo recitals in Rome and Torino. These victories collectively propelled her career, securing representation by prestigious artist management agencies such as Intermusica and facilitating high-profile debuts with orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.[13][14][5]

Other honors

In 2012, Clara-Jumi Kang was selected as one of the top 100 most promising and influential people in Korea by the Dong-A Ilbo.

A devoted chamber musician, she regularly visits chamber music festivals and collaborates with renowned musicians including Janine Jansen, Gidon Kremer and Mischa Maisky.

Born in Germany to a musical family, Clara-Jumi Kang took up the violin at the age of three and a year later enrolled as the youngest ever student at the Mannheim Musikhochschule.

She took her Bachelor and Masters degrees at the Korean National University of Arts under Nam-Yun Kim before completing her studies at the Munich Musikhochschule with Christoph Poppen. Her most notable contribution in this realm is the complete cycle of Beethoven's ten violin sonatas, recorded with pianist Sunwook Kim and released as a five-volume box set by Accentus Music in 2021.[37] This ambitious project, which Kang began studying at age eight, highlights the duo's interpretive depth and technical precision across the composer's evolving styles from the early Op.

12 sonatas to the late Op. 111, earning critical acclaim for its emotional range and nomination for the 2022 Opus Klassik Award in the chamber music category.[38]Kang's earlier recording efforts include a prize-winner's album from the 4th Sendai International Music Competition, where she took first place in 2010. As a recitalist, Kang regularly performs at the world’s most prestigious halls, and will make her Wigmore Hall debut next season, and return to the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées for two concerts.


Recent highlights include her debut at the Proms with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Ryan Bancroft, and performances with the Royal Stockholm

Philharmonic, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and Taipei Symphony.


She made her concerto debut with Hamburg Symphony at the age of five and has

since performed with orchestras including the Warsaw Philharmonic, Kremerata

Baltica, Mariinsky Orchestra, Orchestre National de Belgique, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Orquesta Sinfónica de RTVE, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia and the St.Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductors such as Bancroft, Boreyko, Bringuier, Chung, Fedoseyev, P Järvi, Lü Jia, Märkl, Mena, Poppen, Roth,

Temirkanov and Yamada.


Further afield, her performances have taken her to the USA with the Atlanta, New

Jersey, Indianapolis and Santa Fe Symphony Orchestras, as well as Asia with the

NHK Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic, NCPA Beijing Orchestra, Macao Philharmonic and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestras.

She took her Bachelor and Masters

degrees at the Korean National University of Arts under Nam-Yun Kim before

completing her studies at the Munich Musikhochschule with Christoph Poppen.


Clara-Jumi Kang plays on the 1702 "Thunis" Stradivarius.

Clara-Jumi Kang

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang is internationally renowned for her musicality and virtuosity.

She will also perform a recital tour across Korea, culminating at Seoul Arts Center, and make her recital debuts at the Boulez Saal in Berlin and the Hong Kong City Hall, and perform solo recitals in Rome and Torino.

Other recent highlights include performances with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic at the Isarphilharmonie and on tour to Korea alongside Myung-Whun Chung, the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Lahav Shani, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony and Bournemouth Symphony.

Since making her concerto debut with Hamburg Symphony at the age of five, Kang has regularly worked with leading conductors including Paavo Järvi, Xavier-Roth, Denève, Petrenko, Yamada, Ollikainen, Bancroft, Mena, Shani, Dutoit, Reif, Bihlmaier, Edusei and Long Yu.

She was selected as one of the top 100 “Most promising and influential people of Korea” in 2012 by major Korean newspaper Dong-A Times and was awarded the Daewon Music Award (2012) for her outstanding international achievements as well as Kumho Musician of the Year (2015).

Clara-Jumi Kang has made two recordings for Decca: “Modern Solo” featuring works including Schubert’s “Last Rose”, “Erlkönig” and Ysaÿe Sonatas, and a Brahms/Schumann album with Yeol-Eum Son.

Her cycle of Beethoven Violin Sonatas with pianist Sunwook Kim was released on Accentus last season to outstanding reviews and nominations.

Upcoming highlights include festival appearances at the BBC Proms, returning following her debut in 2022 to perform the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante alongside Timothy Ridout, at the Hollywood Bowl alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the second consecutive season, as well as her debut at the Salzburg Festival under Andrew Manze.

Kang will also

return to the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Auckland Philharmonia, and tour South Korea

with the Munich Philharmonic under the baton of Myung-whun Chung.

Other recent highlights include performances with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic at the Isarphilharmonie and on tour to Korea alongside Myung-Whun Chung, the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Lahav Shani, the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony and Bournemouth Symphony.

Performances with artists like Sunwook Kim, such as their 2019 rendition of Brahms's Violin Sonata No. 1 at the Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, are available through various platforms.[41] As of 2025, no additional commercial releases outside Decca have been announced, though her ongoing festival engagements suggest potential future chamber projects.[1]

Awards and recognition

Competition victories

Clara-Jumi Kang achieved significant recognition through her successes in major international violin competitions during the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Her cycle of Beethoven Violin Sonatas with pianist Sunwook Kim, which was released on Accentus in 2021 has received outstanding reviews and nominations. The album's production, under Decca's classical division, captures the duo's seamless synergy, with Kang's warm tone and nuanced phrasing complementing Son's supportive accompaniment.

Born in Germany to a musical family, Clara-Jumi Kang took up the violin at the age of three and a year later enrolled as the youngest ever student at the Mannheim Musikhochschule.