Da Sol named Kumho Art Hall’s first artist-in-residence

Kumho Art Hall, the home of the Korean Mecenat Program, has appointed 23-year-old pianist Da Sol as its first artist-in-residence on Tuesday.

The appointment will allow Kim to explore the world of music without financial concerns for a year and present his musicianship to the audience on a regular basis. The young star performed at the concert hall in 2011 as a Kumho Asiana Soloists member.

“I realized that throughout the year there are so many things that a young artist can show to the world to grow as a matured musician. It is a great opportunity for me,” the pianist said at the showcase held on Tuesday. He performed Schumann’s “Arabesque” and Ravel’s “Ondine” from “Gaspard de la nuit.”

Da Sol debuted in 2006 when he placed second at the Tongyeong International Music Festival. He won the Nagoya International Music Competition the same year and studied at the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig at age 16. He toured Germany with concertmaster Michael Sanderling and received the Salzburg Culture Foundation scholarship.

He will appear in the Kumho Art Hall New Year Concert on Jan. 10 featuring the music of Scriabin and Rachmaninov. He will also take to the stage for “Baroque & Beyond” on May 2, performing Busoni and Bach’s “Goldberg Variations.” On July 4 he and cellist Andreas Brantelid will perform pieces by Schubert, Beethoven and Grieg. On July 11, he will perform as a trio with violinist Erik Schumann and cellist David Pia. On Oct. 10, he will explore contemporary classical music before moving on to jazz, presenting music by Gershwin, Schulhoff and Kapustin on Dec. 12.

“I wanted to perform a broad range of music, from very classical to contemporary and even jazz music,” the pianist said.

“Since the art hall opened in 2000, we have concentrated on nurturing local classical music talents. Many concert halls and cultural foundations worldwide have artist-in-residence programs. The appointment of Da Sol will also help the Kumho Asiana Culture Foundation reinforce its cultural capacity. I know that Da Sol is ready,” said Kim Yong-yeon, senior executive vice president of the Kumho Asiana Culture Foundation.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)