Reviews

When music paints pictures

The chamber orchestra and four soloists of the 'Musical Summer', under the guidance of 

Viennese conductor Wolfgang Doerner, chose for the first part of their program Vivaldi's 

famous and much taxed, yet ingenious, violin concerto "La Quattro Stagioni" (The four 

seasons). Those who thought these pieces had been fully interpreted were easily proven 

wrong. Ensemble and soloists interpreted Vivaldi's baroque programmatic-music (each of 

the concertos relates to a "Sonetto Dimonstrativo" of the composer) literally, as was usual 

for that time regarding word-based music. Drastically painted, but not overdrawn, scenes 

dominated, with the amazing coordination of all members contributing to their power and 

atmosphere. While they were playing in unison watching the interplay between ensemble 

and soli was breathtaking. In the interpretation of the solo voices - Mechthild Karkow in the 

concerto 'Spring', Franziska Koenig ('Summer'), Doren Dinglinger ('Autumn'), and the 

Korean Se-Young Kim ('Winter') - the differences of the artists' characters, the access each 

had to the music, their technical virtuosity and a spontaneity born out of an intimate 

understanding of the music fascinated the audience. 

Caption: Se-Young Kim captivated as Winter Fairy in a white dress.

Delightful cembalo movements with magical Tutti-accompaniment in 'Adagio' were 

accomplished persuasively. Joyful, in a strongly accentuated processional dance, autumn 

wants to merge into winter, interrupted only briefly by rearing figures and an eerie Tutti- 

tremolo. Icily winter comes closer. The orchestra achieves this effect through hard, crystal 

clear miniatures. As a soloist Se-Young Kim shines in an allegorical white dress. This young 

artist, she studies with Professor Wolfram Koenig in Trossingen, delights with her 

wonderful, dynamic play and with her urge towards great virtuosity. Kim the Winter Fairy 

conjures an incomparably beautiful, soft, downy blanket over the land. Then, all of a 

sudden, winter is powerfully present. A grandiose performance by the four soloists and the 

entire orchestra is celebrated with exultant cheers.

Bach, Brahms and Berg

Passionately the first movement surges forward, yet always with a hint of melancholy. In 

the scherzo Brahms finally shows himself as truly happy and the three musicians, Se-Young 

Kim, violin, Jill Hesse, horn, and Laura Rigby-Stokes, Piano, vehemently let this be known. 

The adagio floats between sadness and bliss with a fierce outburst in between, but the 

final movement urges into the wide open with impassioned triplets. 

University music students participate in famous competition

(Trossinger Zeitung, January 15, 2007)

In anticipation of the Mendelssohn-Competition in Berlin the Trossinger students Se-Young 

Kim (Violin) and Katalin Rozgonyi (Piano) have extensively rehearsed four violin sonatas by 

Beethoven, a fantasy by Arnold Schoenberg and pieces by Debussy and Brahms, as well as, 

of course, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. It was especially in the works from the romantic period 

that the violinist Se-Young Kim revealed a profound dedication that combined congenially 

with the lithe and supple piano melodies. Debussy sounded distinctly cooler; Schoenberg 

somewhat distant, which suited the complex structures of his works well. 

Quintet inspires again and again.

 (Trossinger Zeitung, Friday, January 28, 2005)

Although in a fit of youthful exuberance Ionnna Poenaru hit the keys of her piano slightly 

too hard at times, the audience immediately realized that the five university students 

playing in front of them were real artists. Se-Young Kim is an excellent violinist and playing 

in concert with the cellist Maraike Kirchner, who plays equally as tunefully as Kim, both 

carried the melody in a congenial manner. The violist Sandor Varga elegantly provided the 

accompanying figures and Ovidiu Lucian-Manolache, with his contrabass, set the 

foundation on solid footing. Following an almost tragic introduction, a happy musical 

performance ensued, characterized by dancing aspiration. It was especially beautiful how 

the horn section seemed to 'speak' with the string players. Schubert's touching melodics 

seem to pull one's soul from one's body. It is heavenly music that came right out of 

Schubert's heart. A happy Allegro, as well as an Andante with seven variations, of which the 

final one was purely a violin concerto, followed. 

Matinee in Townhall's Foyer well visited

 (Thursday, February 19, 2004)

The selection of contemporary music from the 20th century was intoned by both artists 

magnificently. The lively alternation between dramatic dissonances and cheery, playful 

harmonics was worked out brilliantly, in the solo pieces, as well as the duets. 

Modern Sounds in the Townhall

With their virtuoso performance both artists quickly spellbound their audience. That Maria 

Se-Young Kim chose as her first piece Yossi Gutmann's Sonata for Violin, a piece in which 

two motifs are introduced and in the course of the piece combined with one another, must 

have been especially poignant for Christopher Link, as it was Gutmann who inspired him 

as a teacher at the Conservatory in Eisenstadt. The temperamental performance of the 

Korean artist gratified the audience greatly.

Successful Matinee in the Townhall's Foyer

The young artist Maria Se-Young Kim has already performed with the Seoul Symphonic 

Orchestra as soloist. She impressed her audience in Steisslingen with the Sonata Nr. 3 in C- 

Dur by Johann Sebastian Bach. Caption: "Musical Sunday" - A very successful musical 

Sunday morning was prepared by Maria Se-Young Kim (Violin) and Christoph Link (Viola) 

for the audience of the matinee in the foyer of the Steissling townhall. They delighted 

visitors with their virtuoso performance of works by Niccolo Paganini, Aram 

Chatschaturian, Johann Sebastian Bach and Adolf Busch. It was especially gratifying to see 

the number of young concert goers this year attending the opening of the Musical Spring, 

an event now in its seventh year. 

Successful Matinee in Townhall/Musicians Enchant Audience

In the passage by Heinrich Biber a baroque richness of sound was assembled in a theme 

of four declining notes, a theme which repeatedly unified the competing ideas and merged 

them peacefully together. Maria Se-Young Kim let her performance become an auditory 

feast. Following their performance in the Steisslingen townhall, both artists received 

veritable storms of long lasting applause by the enchanted audience. 

Masterpieces from Three Centuries (Süd-Kurier)

Playing "Passacaglia" for violin solo, composed by Bohemian violinist Heinrich Ignaz Biber 

(1644 - 1704), Maria Se-Young Kim captivated her audience and took them on a stellar 

musical journey. The young violinist has already completed her graduate degree in music 

and is currently working on her education as a soloist at the College of Music at the 

university in Trossingen. She comes across as a very warm and natural individual and her 

musical interpretation mirrors her personality. Her sound has substance and was able to 

fill the acoustic space of the church even when she was playing the most delicate 

Pianissimo. The "Passacaglia," often used as the concluding piece of a suite, is a musical 

piece made up of variations of a constantly repeating base line in triple meter. Se-Young 

Kim played this baroque masterpiece with a surprisingly large variety of moods and 

timbres, with a fine sense for acoustic nuances and an immense intensity of expression 

from the first to the last tone. The Adagio-like, prelude of heavenly sweetness played in a 

sacred tune, attained contours and a sudden unexpected bite. Mozart, played in a 

transparent and spirited manner by the charismatic violin virtuoso Se-Young Kim, made up 

the wonderfully relaxing finale. Kim took the lead in a sensitive and low-key manner 

without ever dominating her musical partner. "It was simply fantastic," was the comment 

most often heard from concert goers following the end. 

Pure Passion in Wiegoldsbur: Chambermusic in Wibaldi Church

(Rheiderland Zeitung, July 30, 2003)

The highlight of the concert was the piece Piano trio g-moll op. 15 by the famous Czech 

composer Friedrich Smetana. It was pure passion, acoustically and optically. The Korean 

Se-Young Kim (violin) not only imparts the sounds of her violin strength and life, she 

herself becomes music! Peter Barcaba, playing the piano, and Christoph Otto Beyer (violin- 

cello) also showed much emotion. All three artists play with unbelievable physical effort 

and create musical and artistic eruptions that inspire and electrify. These artists offer the 

unusual, they interpret Smetana in the best manner, let their music appear transparent 

and paint beautiful themes in Wibaldi Church, from airy, delightful dance scenes to 

monumental bodies of sound. The consummation of their tremendous effort comes in the 

vehement ending. For their grandiose performance the trio receives storms of applause by 

the audience. 

Perfection from beginning to end: Musical Summer in the Bagbander Church

(Ostfriesen-Zeitung, August 9, 2001)

Then the sole male musician of the evening took his place in front of the piano. Seong- 

Soon Hwang together with violinist Se-Young Kim played the well known B-major-sonata by 

Mozart, which, while well known for its difficulty, posed no problems at all for either 

musician. Kim played so clearly, so expressively, so congenially that listeners did not notice 

what a challenge this piece is to play. While the "Seufzerfiguren" (sigh figures) of the violin 

were somewhat exaggerated at times, the talents and skills of the Korean artists, combined 

with the clarity and nobility of their playing, led to a beautifully organized set of dialogically 

patterned themes. Played by Se-Young Kim and Amalia-Maria Bonciocat on the piano, the 

outer movements of the Brahms-sonata bore witness to a passionate creative force.

The Fireworks of Chamber music

The Fireworks of Chamber Music in Aurich

no title

Brilliant Musicians rouse Heart and Soul

Romantic-harmonic reconciliation with Violin and Piano

Soaring artistic talent: Brilliant Final Concert of the Musical Summer in Reepsholt