Hailed as “an exceptional artist .... who, for the space of a concert, transcends himself” (Diapason), 18-year-old pianist Saehyun Kim 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, Fondation Louis Vuitton, 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 praising 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 sold-out solo recitals at the Auditorium of Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, Seoul Arts Center, and Busan Concert Hall.

 

Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Kim was trained by Soojung Shin and Youngmi Choi until he moved to the U.S. to continue his musical training with HaeSun Paik at Walnut Hill School for the Arts and the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. In the fall of 2024, he enrolled in the prestigious Harvard/NEC dual degree program. 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.

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His 2025/2026 season includes solo recitals at the International Chopin Piano Festival in Duszniki-Zdrój, La Grange de Meslay, Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier, Nohant Chopin Festival, and Festival Musiq3 Brussels, as well as concerto appearances in La Roque d’Anthéron, La Folle Journée Tokyo, Festival de La Chaise-Dieu, Château de Versailles, and Lotte Concert Hall with the Marseille Philharmonic, Latvian Symphony, KBS Symphony, and One Korea Orchestra under the batons of Myung-Whun Chung, Lawrence Foster, and Andris Poga.

 

Kim is an exclusive recording artist of the Warner Classics label (International), and his debut solo album, consisting of works by Fauré and Chopin, will be released in 2026.

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Last update:January 1, 2026