Paul Kim (pianist)

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Paul Kim is also the name of a semi-finalist on season 6 of American Idol.

Paul Kim is an American classical pianist.

Kim began his musical training in southern California and continued his studies at The Juilliard School. At the Manhattan School of Music he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees, and went on to earn a Ph.D. from New York University. Among his teachers include Paul Jacobs, Gary Graffman, Solomon Mikowsky and Jerome Lowenthal.

Kim is recognized as one of the leading specialists on the music of the French composer Olivier Messiaen. Among Kim’s most notable achievements is his seven CD recording series comprising the complete piano works of Messiaen, released on the Centaur Records label from 2001 to 2005. Included in the series are Messiaen’s major compositions such as Catalogue d’oiseaux, Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus, and the two-piano work Visions de l'Amen recorded with his son, Matthew Kim, who was 15 years old at the time.

Critics have often noted Kim’s interpretations with references to his scholarly perspectives^[1], athletic and poetic pianism^[2], and spiritual qualities^{[3] [4]}. The pianist Yvonne Loriod, the late composer's wife and the foremost interpreter of his music, described Kim's performances as being "perfect in every way — technique, rhythm, color, sonority, emotion."^[5]

In 2007 it was reported that Kim was among the classical pianists victimized by the recording scandal^[6] of Joyce Hatto. It was revealed that Hatto’s recording of Messiaen’s Vingt regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus was documented to be Kim’s 2002 recording released by Centaur Records.^[7]

Currently Kim is in the midst of a multi-volume recording series of Beethoven's Nine Symphonies, transcribed for piano. The first volume, the Ninth Symphony, was recorded with his son Matthew and is expected to be released in 2008.

Kim has also received attention for his performances with his musical family. With his wife Judith Jeon, a soprano, Kim has performed widely in lieder recitals. In 1995, Kim and his son Matthew (at age nine) made their debut as a father-and-son piano duo with a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall. The duo has expanded with the addition of Kim’s younger son, James. The trio of pianists, Paul Kim & Sons, has since performed throughout the world, often in benefit concerts for various social and charitable causes.

In addition to his performing career, Kim is president and co-founder of the Music Angels International Foundation. A profile of Kim's spiritual journey in music was featured in the book Creative Spirituality: The Way of the Artist written by Robert Wuthnow.

Kim currently serves as a professor of piano and music history at Long Island University C.W. Post Campus.

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