Saehyun Kim

Hailed as “an exceptional artist .... who, for the space of a concert, transcends himself” (Diapason), South Korean pianist Saehyun Kim (b. 2007) is praised for his “stunning profusion of colors” that juxtaposes “a touch of unbelievable delicacy” and a sense of “dramaturgical construction” (Le Figaro). Winner of the 2025 Long-Thibaud International Piano Competition (three special prizes: Audience Prize, Prize of the Press Jury, and Prize of the City of Paris Conservatories) and the 2023 Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists (two special prizes: Audience Prize and Junior Jury Prize), Kim has performed at venues across the U.S., France, Austria, South Korea, and Japan, such as Jordan Hall, Salle Cortot, Ehrbar Saal, Seoul Arts Center, Yamaha Hall Ginza, and more. He has appeared as a soloist with the Orchestre de la Garde républicaine, Canton Symphony, Korean National Symphony, and Sendai Philharmonic, to name a few. 

Kim’s recent debut recital at the Parc du Château de Florans as a part of the La Roque d’Anthéron International Piano Festival was met with critical acclaim, Le Monde affirming that his “pianistic abilities are superlative, his touch elegant and profound, the phrasing infinitely nuanced, and the sense of narrative undeniable.” He is the only pianist to have given televised performances in front of both the Arc de Triomphe (Le concert de la paix) and the Eiffel Tower (Concert de Paris). Both performances were viewed by an audience of millions. Recently, he gave two sold-out solo recitals at Seoul Arts Center and Busan Concert Hall in South Korea. 

Following his studies at the Seoul Arts Center Music Academy and the Yewon School under Soojung Shin, professor emeritus at Seoul National University, and Youngmi Choi, professor at Seoul National University of Education, Kim moved to the U.S. and continued his musical training at Walnut Hill School for the Arts and the NEC Preparatory School, studying with HaeSun Paik, faculty at New England Conservatory. After graduating from both institutions as a recipient of the 2024 Arnold C. Taylor Award for Academic and Artistic Achievement at Walnut Hill and the Piano Department Award at the NEC Prep, Kim enrolled in the prestigious Harvard/NEC dual degree program in the fall of 2024. Currently, Kim is based in Boston, studying with esteemed pianists Dang Thai Son and HaeSun Paik. He is a scholar of the Theo and Petra LIEVEN International Piano Foundation.​

His 2025-26 season includes solo recitals at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier, and Nohant Chopin Festival, as well as concerto appearances in La Folle Journée de Nantes, La Roque d’Anthéron, and Château de Versailles, among others. His debut solo album with Warner Classics will be released in 2026.