International award-winning clarinetist Han Kim brings his considerable talents to Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall on May 3 at 5 pm. Along with the acclaimed pianist Sahun Sam Hong, Kim performs a program of clarinet sonatas by Saint-Saëns, Brahms, Poulenc, and Bernstein, alongside Geonyong Lee's "Song in the Dusk." We spoke to him about making his Carnegie Hall debut, being the first Asian Principal Player of the prestigious Opéra national de Paris, and more.
Tell us about your recital at Carnegie Hall. Is there an underlying theme to your program?
My theme for the recital is "Clarinet - an absence to be filled."
The most significant aspect of clarinet is a lack of character - it does not have an established 'identity' that lots of other instruments do (I don't like to say it, but sometimes it is quite bland!).
Ironically, this lack of character gives an unlimited imagination for the composers to write for the clarinet. Some composers use it to create a long, everlasting melody line, whereas others use it or a single special effect. Every composer approaches this instrument in a different way, and it is a huge joy to experience the musical variety.
Born in South Korea, where the musical tradition is quite distant from the European countries, I had no knowledge of their culture before I moved to Europe. Coming to Europe with a blank sheet of paper in my head, I paradoxically had a chance to fully embrace the different colours and palettes of culture of the heart of classical music.
In this program, (almost) all the composers are from the countries I have lived in - Korea, Germany and France. I am very much looking forward to sharing what I have learnt in these countries. Maybe there is an opportunity to explore the country of Leonard Bernstein, too!
Your biography states that you are promoting Korean classical music on the world stage. To that end, your Carnegie program features a work by Geonyong Lee, a composer who may be unfamiliar to some music-lovers. What should people know about him going into your concert, and can you tell us a bit about Song in the Dusk, his work on your program?
Geonyong Lee is a Korean composer born in 1947, and he was a professor of composition in the most important universities in Korea - Seoul University and Korean National University of Arts. He is known for his juxtapositions of Eastern and Western music, as well as traditional and modern music.
Song in the Dusk is his series of compositions for different instruments, ranging from clarinet and cello to Korean traditional instruments, and they focus on the daily personal contemplation, rather than a macroscopic theme. Growing up with Korean traditional music, it is a pleasure for me to have a chance to share the Korean aesthetic through my instrument.
You're the first and only Asian Principal Player – not just clarinetist - of the prestigious Opéra national de Paris in its 350-year history. How do you think about the significance of that?
Of course it is a huge honour to have an important position in a renowned orchestra and it is a huge pleasure to be able to play in historical opera houses. I feel like I have a responsibility that I represent my country in Europe - alongside the responsibility as a principal of the most important musical venue in France, and this gives me a huge motivation to create special musical moments.
This concert is your Carnegie Hall debut. What does this significant milestone mean to you?
It is a huge honour for me to be able to play in such a prestigious venue and I am extremely excited to share my music with the audience in New York. This would be my second time in New York (first time being a short two-day trip with a huge snowstorm), so it's almost my first trip and I cannot wait to explore this amazing city in a better weather in May!