Hwan Hee Kim

Hwan Hee’s PhD research investigates and records significant piano works by the Korean composer Kuk Jin Kim (1930–2020), who dedicated the latter half of the 20th century to realizing a distinct “sound of Korea.”

Through contact with Kuk Jin Kim’s daughter, Hwan Hee has obtained access to original scores, many annotated by the composer himself. For the first time, these scores have been brought out of South Korea to be performed and recorded, including numerous world premieres. These premieres form a central part of the performance strand of his PhD, supervised by Dr. Adam Swayne and Dr. David Jones at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM).

As a pianist, Hwan Hee has developed both artistically and academically, studying in diverse, high-Caliber international environments over the past decade. Under the guidance of distinguished piano tutors, including Nita Quinto, Jourdann Petalver, László Baranyay, Rustam Shaykutdinov, and Dr. Adam Swayne, he has performed in countries such as the Philippines, Hungary, Russia, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Serbia, and the United Kingdom.

He has won numerous international piano competitions, notably the XXVII International Festival “Musica Classica” in Moscow and the XV Art Duo International Music Festival Piano Competition in Prague. Additionally, he has received accolades from the OPUS 2021 Krakow International Music Competition, the Franz Schubert Konservatorium in Vienna, the Luigi Cerritelli Competition in Milan, and other contests in Hong Kong, California, Finland, and Georgia, as well as being a finalist in Naples’ Nomea Competition.

Over the past year, Hwan Hee has made meaningful contributions to academic discourse through his presentations and lecture-recitals on “Kuk Jin Kim and His Piano Works: The Sound of Korea.” His work has been showcased at prestigious events, including the 22nd Annual Plenary Conference of the Society for Musicology in Ireland at the University of Galway, the 16th World Piano Conference organised by the World Piano Teacher Association (WPTA) in Novi Sad, Serbia, and the British Forum for Ethnomusicology (BFE) and Royal Musical Association (RMA) Research Students’ Conference hosted by the University of Aberdeen.

In terms of performance, Hwan Hee has presented recitals across the UK, featuring Kuk Jin Kim’s works and introducing audiences to his PhD research and Korean piano music. Notably, he has performed in Shrewsbury, London, Aberdeen, and Manchester, where he is currently based. His achievements include a recital in the esteemed Spotlight Series Concert at the RNCM and headlining the inaugural Didsbury Coffee Concert at Emmanuel Church in Didsbury in 2025.

Through his PhD, Hwan Hee seeks to unveil an entirely new repertoire of classical piano music by Korean ethnomusicologist-composer Kuk Jin Kim. Drawing inspiration from Korean traditional music and folk elements, this body of work enriches the Western classical canon with a uniquely Korean classical sound.

Listen to Kuk Jin Kim’s music – Ariranggogae (Arirang Hill)

Listen to Kuk Jin Kim’s music – Pungnyeonga (Good Harvest Song)