Ben Kim

American pianist **Ben Kim** has built a quietly powerhouse reputation on the international classical scene, especially for his **Mozart, Chopin, Debussy, and Schumann** recordings. Born and raised in **Portland, Oregon**, he started piano at five and was giving solo recitals by eight and orchestral debuts by twelve, a trajectory that led him into the prestigious studio of **Leon Fleisher** at the Peabody Conservatory, where he completed an accelerated Bachelor’s degree around age 20. He later continued his training with **Yong Hi Moon**, joined the elite **International Piano Academy Lake Como** program headed by Martha Argerich and William Grant Naboré, and finished his studies with **Klaus Hellwig** at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Kim’s career took off after he won **First Prize at the 55th ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 2006**, putting him on major stages like **Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, Musikverein, Gewandhaus, Suntory Hall, and the Kennedy Center**, performing with leading orchestras including the **Bavarian Radio Symphony**, **Deutsche Radio**, **Baltimore Symphony**, **Seoul Philharmonic**, and **St Petersburg Hermitage State Symphony**. Critics have praised his playing as “practically euphoric and filled with vitality” and noted his mix of **virtuosity, integrity to the score, and unshowy musical depth**, qualities that shine in his acclaimed recordings of **Mozart piano concertos (including Nos. 11–13, 17, 23–25)** and **Chopin Preludes & Impromptus**. Along the way he has picked up honors like the **Rheingau Musik Festival’s LOTTO Career Development Prize** and Johns Hopkins University’s **Outstanding Recent Graduate Award**, underscoring how firmly he’s established himself as one of his generation’s serious yet warmly communicative pianists.

Genres

Classical

Contemporary Classical

Chamber Music

Baroque

Romantic Music

Piano

Solo Piano

Orchestral

Impressionism

Latest Release

The First Vienna Concertos | Piano Concertos Nos. 11-12-13

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart•

Ben Kim•

Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra

Album - 9 Tracks - Released March 8, 2024