Contact
Departments
Vocal Studies
Education
GD Collaborative Piano @ New England Conservatory
MM Collaborative Piano @ New England Conservatory
BA Music: Performance & Composition @ UC Berkeley
Courses Taught
Vocal Coaching
Private lessons
Ensembles
Ensemble Ari (current)
UC Berkeley Faculty/ Piano Program Coordinator (current)
Saint Mary's College Professor of Music (2008-2024)
Q&A
What is your hometown?
Berkeley, CA
What is your favorite recording?
Brahms Piano Trio no. 1 in B major with the Beaux Arts Trio. I fell in love with chamber music and passionately listened to this recording on full blast often while driving. I must've been so unaware of my driving that once I got my first speeding ticket while listening & singing along to this first movement.
Another favorite is Dichterliebe with Thomas Quasthoff. His interpretation of this cycle is so beautifully done.
What are you passionate about outside of music?
Family, food, travel, and long walks
Who were your major teachers? (List three or fewer.)
Barbara Shearer, Kayo Iwama, and Irma Vallecillo.
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
"Work hard, then play harder."
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
It was my childhood dream to be a musician and teacher. I'm grateful that I can pursue it as a career and share my passion as a teacher.
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
A therapist.
What is your daily practice routine?
As a busy teacher, mom, partner, and performer, I really don't have a routine! I try to squeeze in practice between any free moment I have!
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Mozart, Beethoven, and Glass.
Biography
Sharon Lee Kim is an active recitalist, chamber pianist, vocal coach, music director, choral/vocal accompanist, and piano instructor. She performs and records throughout the nation and internationally, often collaborating with renowned vocalists and instrumentalists.She has performed on multiple stages including Carnegie Hall, Boston's Symphony Hall & Jordan Hall, and SF's Herbst Theatre. Sharon enjoys performing contemporary works by living composers and often performs with Berkeley-based ECO Ensemble.
Sharon is on faculty at UC Berkeley working as pianist for both choral and instrumentalists. She holds the administrative and management role as Piano Program Coordinator at UC Berkeley. Beyond her roles at Cal, Sharon is the pianist of Ensemble Ari, freelance pianist, and maintains a thriving private studio. Sharon is a member of the MTAC and received the Steinway Top Teacher Award (2021). In the fall of 2023, Sharon received her EFP certification in the Estill Vocal Training Program to enhance her vocal coaching skills. She holds degrees from UC Berkeley (BA Honors) and New England Conservatory (MM and GD Honors and Distinction in Performance in Collaborative Piano).