As a soloist, Sunwook enjoys close relationships with renowned conductors including Daniel Harding, Paavo Järvi, Myung-whun Chung, Marek Janowski, Sir Mark Elder and Jakub Hrusa. Recent highlights include an extensive tour of Europe and Korea play-directing Beethoven concerti with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, with concerts at Lotte Concert Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, Salle Philharmonique de Liege, Halle Aux Grains, Toulouse and the Barbican, London. Other recent concerto highlights include concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra (Michael Tilson Thomas), Los Angeles Philharmonic (both with Nathalie Stutzman and as part of the Seoul Festival curated by Unsuk Chin), and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic (with Chief Conductor Karina Cannellakis).
The 24/25 season sees Sunwook continue his term in Gyeonggi, conducting works from Mozart and Beethoven to Strauss, Bartok and Unsuk Chin, and working with soloists including Vadym Kholodenko, Marc Bouchkov and Clara-Jumi Kang. He made his conducting debut with the orchestra in June 2023, and was immediately announced as their next Music Director for an initial term until December 2025, leading the orchestra in a minimum of ten performances per year, starting with Gyeonggi Arts Center’s New Year’s concert in January 2024.
As a guest conductor, Sunwook Kim regularly appears with the Seoul Philharmonic, with whom he has conducted various projects including Strauss’ Tod und Verklärung and Der Rosenkavalier, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No.9. He has also made highly successful debuts with the Israel Philharmonic, leading them from the piano and the podium in a programme of Beethoven, Mozart and Tchaikovsky, and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. He enjoys a close relationship with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, who he has conducted on numerous occasions and in 25/26 will lead in Stravinsky, Mozart and Beethoven, joined by pianist Elisabeth Brauss. Future conducting highlights include concerts with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Enescu Philharmonic, Taipei Symphony and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano.
He appears on the world’s finest stages as a recitalist, including Wigmore Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Symphony Hall Osaka and Seoul Arts Centre, and also collaborates regularly with fellow Intermusica artist and life partner Clara-Jumi Kang, and with Janine Jansen.
He has an extensive recording catalogue, including concerto discs with the Seoul Philharmonic (Deutsche Grammophon) and Staatskapelle Dresden (Accentus), both led by Myung-whun Chung, and in 2023, the Berliner Philharmoniker released a new box of recordings of works by Unsuk Chin, highlighting their collaboration with the over the past 20 years. The Piano Concerto was performed by Sunwook, conducted by Sakari Oramo.
Born in Seoul in 1988, Sunwook completed an MA in conducting at the Royal Academy of Music and was subsequently made a fellow (FRAM) of the Royal Academy of Music in 2019. Besides Leeds, international awards include the first prize at the 2004 Ettlingen Competition (Germany) and the 2005 Clara Haskil Competition (Switzerland).
2024/25 season / 557 words. Not to be altered without permission.