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Yubeen Kim

(He/Him)
Yubeen Kim headshot

Departments

Courses Taught

Flute Studio Bachelor of Music and Master of Music

Education

BM at CNSM de Lyon

MM at CNSM de Paris

Konzertexamen at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler

Awards & Distinctions

Winner of the ARD International Music Competition

Winner of the Prague Spring Music Competition

2nd prize at the Concours de Genève

Ensembles

Principal Flute of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra

Former Principal Flute of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Q&A

What is your hometown?

Daejeon, South Korea

What are you passionate about outside of music?

Touring gourmet restaurants and taking food pictures

Who were your major teachers?

Philippe Bernold and Benoît Fromanger

What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?

Please tell your story, try to convince the listeners (audience)

What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?

Any doubts in musical phrases or articulations

What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?

When I won the first music competition I participated when I was 9 years old.

What was a turning point in your career?

Concours de Genève in 2014.
Winning this competition changed my life to make debut in the music world as a soloist.

What is your daily practice routine?

Focus more and spend more time on basic exercises and then musical pieces

If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?

Bach, Brahms, Mahler

What do you think makes a concert experience unique?

To communicate and breathe together with the audience in live performances.

Please list your most important collaborations.

My first album project with fantastic pianist Do-Hyun Kim

San Francisco Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen

What recordings can we hear you on?

Sony Classical  Yubeen Kim “Poème” 

My first CD has just released (August 2024) on Sony Classical.

Media

Video URL

Biography

Recognized worldwide for his musical prowess, Kim achieved First Prize at the ARD International Music Competition, as well as First Prize at the Prague Spring International Music Competition, and Second Prize (with no First Prize awarded) at the Concours de Genève. He has also been honored with special awards, including the Audience Prize, Young Audience Prize, and Special Prize. Subsequently, these achievements have opened doors for him to perform concerts across the world.

He has appeared as a soloist with many prestigious orchestras such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Bochumer Symphoniker, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, and Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra.

He is the Principal Flute of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra since January 2024, and served as the Principal Flute at the Konzerthausorchester Berlin from 2016 to 2023. He has regularly performed with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as a guest Principal Flute.