Chairman of Byucksan Engineering Kim Higgin on Tuesday was named a winner of the Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, an award given to an active patron of the arts.

Kim, who serves as chairman of the Korean Symphony Orchestra and the Korea Festival Ensemble, is a member of the Arts Council Korea; a board executive of the supporters’ group for Seoul Arts Center and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Arts; and a board member of the Gwangju Biennale. He has been recognized for his contribution to the development of the Korean art scene, the French luxury goods company Montblanc said upon awarding the prize Tuesday at a hotel in southern Seoul. 

Kim is also credited with the success of Ahn Trio, composed of three Korean-American sisters in New York; Sejong Soloists, one of the most critically and commercially successful chamber orchestras here; and financially supporting artists such as Yoon Sang-yoon and Han Kyung-woo. In 2010, Kim established the Byucksan Cultural Foundation playwright award.

“I understand that there is a limit to government support for culture. And I believe that individuals can help artists as much as large corporations. It makes me happy, too. I hope the Mecenat spirit could spread,” Kim said at a press conference on Tuesday.

The Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award was established in 1992 to encourage supporting the arts. This year 12 people were selected around the world including Ji Cai Feng from China, Lady Valeri Solti of the U.K., and Yvon Lambert from France. The foundation chairman is Chinese pianist Lang Lang.

“Whether out of a sense of responsibility to ensure the preservation of the arts, or just pure resilience and insatiable passion for the arts, these men and women possess energy and commitment that never cease to surprise all of us, year after year,” said Lutz Bethge, CEO of Montblanc International GmbH, at the award ceremony.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)