Without her violin, Kim Seo-hyun appears even younger than her age of 15.
But once she holds the violin, she transforms into a charismatic violinist who captivates her audience with every note.
Just a year ago, she became the youngest winner of the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition in Switzerland, where she not only secured first prize but also won the Youth Jury Prize, as well as the prize for best interpretation of a commissioned compulsory piece by Silvia Colasanti.
She entered the competition after weighing her options between the junior and senior categories.
“I was 14 and eligible for the senior competition, which had no lower age limit. Watching my older peers participate, I decided to apply, hoping to learn from older participants,” Kim told The Korea Herald in an interview earlier this year.
“Without the pressure of having to perform perfectly, I actually felt more at ease,” she recalled.
Although she did not anticipate winning, being the youngest winner was not unprecedented. In August 2022, Kim took home the top prize at the 2022 Thomas and Evon Cooper International Competition, which is open to musicians aged 13 to 18.
Her decision to compete in the senior segment of the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition last year marked a significant turning point in her career.
After winning the competition, Kim, an introvert who usually prefers staying at home, has been traveling the world, performing on various stages.
In addition to numerous domestic performances, including one at the Tongyeong International Music Festival in March and a recital in April, in May, she performed at the Chamber Music Connects the World festival, hosted by the Kronberg Academy in Kronberg, Germany. The festival placed 30 outstanding young musicians into chamber ensembles with some of the world's most celebrated artists, including violinists Gidon Kremer and Antje Weithaas.
In July, she toured five cities in Spain and performed in Switzerland. She is set to perform with the Wisconsin Philharmonic Orchestra on Sept. 29 and return to Switzerland in October.
"Performing around the world sounds incredible, and I’m eager to experience it," Kim said.
Participating in the Tibor Varga led her to another remarkable opportunity: playing the violin once owned by the renowned Hungarian violinist and conductor Tibor Varga. His son, Gilbert Varga, who is also a violinist and conductor, reached out to her via email to offer the instrument. She visited a vault at a bank in Switzerland to try it out.
"When I played it for the first time, I fell in love with it and felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity," Kim said.
"Getting to play the instrument feels like a message to keep working hard and to do my best in everything from now on," she added.
Her first violin was a model violin made out of paper and cardboard, with which she began on posture, at the age of five. Even though it was a model violin, Kim remembers her heart pounding with excitement.
The past year has been transformative for her. With each performance, she's gaining invaluable experience and expanding her repertoire beyond her beloved Brahms.
“After reading a biography of Beethoven, I became captivated by his symphonies and started listening to them a lot. My curiosity about symphonies led me to start studying Beethoven. I've found many of his works to be bright and easier to understand. I've also grown to appreciate the charm of Shostakovich,” Kim said.
The aspiring musician, who loves making plans for practice and never feels fully satisfied after practice, said, "The technical aspect is a towering challenge to conquer, while mastering pitch is a lifelong endeavor."
After graduating from Yewon School, a prestigious arts middle school in Seoul, she decided to study at home with tutors to secure more time for practice and mull the possibility of pursuing education abroad. Though it means leaving behind her parents and younger sister -- who's a big K-pop fan and often argues with her over music choices during car rides -- she is eager to explore the world beyond Korea. To prepare, she is studying both English and German.
Wherever she performs, she hopes to become someone who, through her music, evokes a wide range of emotions in her audience.
"Since I’m the one delivering the music, I feel that I need to be happy for the audience to truly connect with it," Kim said. "I’d rather people come to experience my music than to just see me. I want to be the kind of performer who brings out a broad spectrum of emotions through my music," she added.
