We were lucky to catch up with Clara Kim recently and have shared our conversation below.

Clara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I recently launched my project “People and Places”, a program where I perform six solo violin compositions by contemporary composers. My hope is that the program not only showcases the composers’ musical voices, but also humanizes the person behind the pen by sharing a little bit about each of them – their story and their journey.

‘People and Places’ honors the deeply personal connection between place and music; these compositions were woven from threads of heartache, longing, and wonder, and are expressions of the intersection between geography and experience. The six composers are Jessica Ackerley, JunYi Chow, Sarah Gibson, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Rasam Soheilian, and Christopher Stark, and I am in the process of commissioning new pieces to rotate into the program.

When I collaborate with a composer on their piece, I enjoy the intimacy of that relationship – the self-doubts that we can be open about, the revisions big or small, the constant trying of new things. There is a vulnerability in the process of discovery. And eventually, also a vulnerability as it gets translated into a performance. It’s always an honor to be a part of.

But most of all, I love to learn the little things about that person – what their favorite drink is, a random quirk they might have, which grocery store they shop at, their values and priorities that lead them through life. So I hope this project provides a platform to share the musical voices amongst us but also the humanity of our generation.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I concertize regularly as a violinist and love connecting with audiences, people, and communities across the world. I’ve played in venues like Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and won first prize at the Cremona Solo Violin Competition as well as first prizes at MPrize Chamber Arts and Concert Artists Guild Competitions with the string quartet I founded and led for a decade.

My work today focuses on collaboration and bringing meaningful musical performances to people who are open to listening. More recently, I have focused on commissioning and premiering music by living composers – this includes workshopping, recording, and performing. My mission is to champion the music of my own generation and share the stories behind amazing creatives. Through this work, I am still learning so much from others. I like being stretched and challenged… and I also welcome the opportunities to make weird sounds, break traditional classical music rules, and expand the current musical vocabulary.

I experience a particular joy from bringing new pieces to life and hope that through this work, I can also represent more diversity than history has shown in the classical music field. I am grateful to have received commissioning support from organizations such as Chamber Music America, The Koussevitzky Foundation, New Music USA, Concert Artists Guild, and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. And lucky to have an inspiring circle of collaborators and supporters.

When I started the violin at the tender age of 5, I found out very quickly that I greatly disliked the discipline of practicing! But with the advancement of skills came the opportunity to play in small ensembles, and there I naturally gravitated to the art of listening to others – and also of being heard. In small ensembles, where only one person plays a part, it is essential for everyone to work together to create independent voices but a unified product – a concept that sparked my lifelong passion for collaborating with others.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Because the art of violin is traditionally learned in a mentorship model, there is an immense importance on one’s relationship with a teacher. During my studies, I experienced a very painful moment with a particular teacher that shattered my confidence. Eventually the question I kept coming back to was “Do I love this enough to keep going?’ The answer kept being ‘yes’ and helped me reach deep inside to keep pushing.

Since then, I have learned to embrace challenging moments like this more and to use them as building blocks for growth. I have used these moments to learn as an artist, as a mentor myself now, and as a human. And looking back, I can now be proud of the work I have put in to build my version of success, little by little, and allowing no one else to take that away from me.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Find events and local artists and be a part of the musical community! Don’t be shy to reach out to artists. You can support in real ways, whether big or small – by attending concerts, sharing an artist you found with your friends and family, sharing with your favorite artists what you like about their work, donating time, space, money, expertise… those little gifts will go a long way to supporting the creative culture around you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.clarakimviolin.com
• Instagram: claradelunakim
• Youtube: @clara7kim

Image Credits

Christopher Yeh
Christopher Brown
Leland Gebhardt