Pianist Kim Sun-wook, cellist Jian Wang to woo audience with romance

Internationally acclaimed Korean pianist Kim Sun-wook will perform a recital with cellist Jian Wang in Korea next month, featuring works by Romantic composers, including Chopin, Schubert and Rachmaninoff.

Starting with an invitation-only concert at Samsung Concert Hall in Yongin on Friday, Kim and Wang will hold a total of five duo recitals in Korea in April. 

Their Seoul concert will be held Saturday at Lotte Concert Hall. This will be followed by concerts at Daejeon Arts Center on April 17, at Gyeongnam Culture & Art Center in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, on April 18 and at Andong Culture& Arts Center in North Gyeongsang Province on March 19.

Kim and Wang’s performance of Romantic music is expected to be a highlight of the upcoming season. The program will feature Schubert Sonata in A minor for Arpeggione and Piano, D. 821, Chopin Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65 and Rachmaninoff Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano, Op.19 -- pieces that are regarded as highly Romantic.

The inclusion of Chopin in the repertoire is noteworthy, as the upcoming performances will mark pianist Kim’s second and last Chopin performance scheduled for this year.

Often cited as a Beethoven specialist, Kim’s performance of Rachmaninoff, which he performed with acclaimed cellist Chung Myung-wha in 2010 at the Great Mountains Music Festival, is drawing attention as well. It was previously reported that cellist Wang praised Kim after the cello sonata performance at the festival. 

Kim and Wang -- for whom Kim has long expressed admiration -- have performed together in the past, including a trio performance in 2015 with Mayuko Kamio, the 2007 International Tchaikovsky Competition gold medalist.

“Duo performances require much more intimacy in the performers’ musical relationship, compared to when you perform with three or four people. It’s impossible to perform in a duo without understanding the counterpart,” Kim said in a statement. While praising Wang’s delicate expression of pianissimo phrases, Kim added that he hoped that the audience would enjoy their harmonious buildups.

After the April performances, Kim plans to visit Korea in June for a duo performance with violinist Guy Braunstein and in September for his solo recital.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)