Since emerging on the world stage in 2016, Bomsori Kim has consolidated herself as one of the most exciting young violinists around. She's also performing at the 2023 BBC Proms.
But what do we know about her? Here's our guide to the young South Korean fiddler - and some of her best recordings.
Who is Bomsori Kim?
Bomsori Kim is an acclaimed classical violinist from South Korea.
Bomsori Kim or Kim Bomsori?
Good question. Her family name is Kim, so you'll most often see her called Bomsori Kim, using the Western name order which puts the family name last. However, in her native South Korea she is known as Kim Bomsori. Hope that's cleared that up!
How old is Bomsori Kim?
Kim was born on 13 December, 1989.
Where was she born?
Bomsori Kim was born in Daegu, South Korea.
How did she become a violinist?
Kim first started playing the violin at the age of just five. Soon after, she moved to the South Korean capital Seoul, where she attended Yewon Arts School.
She later took a degree at Seoul National University, and then went to the US to take a Master’s degree and artist diploma at New York's famous Juilliard School under Sylvia Rosenberg and Ronald Copes.
What violin competitions did Bomsori Kim enter?
Quite a few! Back in 2010, aged just 20, Kim earned a Laureate at the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in Helsinki. In 2012, she placed fifth in the International Joseph Joachim Competition in Hanover.
She placed fifth again at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2015. And in2016, she took both second and Critic's Prizes at the International Henryk Wieniawski Competition in Poznán, Poland.
What orchestras has Bomsori Kim performed with?
Plenty, including the New York Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, and Germany's NDR Radiophilharmonie.
Bomsori Kim: best recordings
Kim's best recordings to date include:
Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No. 2 /Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 2 (2017) Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra / Jacek Kaspszyk Warner Classics 01902957632 20
Our review commented favourably on Kim's 'centred tone and a strong rhythmic thrust'.
Debussy, Fauré, Szymanowski, Chopin (2019)
with Rafał Blechacz Deutsche Grammophon
For this disc, Kim joined forces with Polish pianist Rafał Blechacz for a nicely-chosen set of duo works from France and Poland, including Fauré's Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano, Debussy's Sonata in G minor, Szymanowski's Sonata in D minor and Chopin's Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor, arranged for violin and piano by violinist Nathan Milstein.
Violin on Stage: Works by Wieniawski, Tchaikovsky, Gluck, Saint-Saëns (2021) NFM Wrocław Philharmonic / Giancarlo Guerrero Deutsche Grammophon
From our review: 'Kim brings her childhood singing and dancing experience to Michael Rot’s virtuosic transcriptions of the ‘Pas de deux’ from The Nutcracker and Gluck’s ‘Dance of the Blessed Spirits’ (Orfeo ed Euridice), gliding across the imaginary stage in a glorious duet with the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic.'
