{"id":48029,"date":"2021-01-03T08:26:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-03T13:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=48029"},"modified":"2021-01-04T11:25:18","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T16:25:18","slug":"philadelphia-orchestra-concertmaster-david-kim-visits-emu-for-virtual-masterclass-plus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2021\/philadelphia-orchestra-concertmaster-david-kim-visits-emu-for-virtual-masterclass-plus\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia Orchestra Concertmaster David Kim visits EMU for virtual \u2018Masterclass plus\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Even with 14 years of experience and several masterclass sessions in her past, senior music performance major<\/a> Eve Yavny <\/strong>was a little nervous as she put bow to strings and began to play the Adagio movement from Bach\u2019s Sonata No. 1<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With good reason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The virtual Masterclass in mid-November at Eastern Mennonite University was with David Kim<\/strong><\/a>, \u201cone of the world\u2019s great violinists\u201d and concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, \u201cknown for decades upon decades as having the finest strings section among many world-class orchestras, said Professor James Richardson<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Eve Yavny, violin performance major at EMU, performs for a virtual audience and Masterclass instructor David Kim. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When she finished, Kim praised her courage. \u201cPlaying unaccompanied Bach in public is one of the scariest things a violinist can do,\u201d he said, going on to urge more elongation of \u201cthe baritones and basses.\u201d He also praised her sensitive use of vibrato, which, along with the bow hold, is an \u201cindividual fingerprint\u201d of each violinist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, Yavny called the experience \u201cincredibly nerve-wracking to play in front of such an accomplished violinist,\u201d but that Kim was \u201capproachable and down-to-earth.\u201d The biggest takeaway, she said, \u201cwas to focus on the lower notes in chords. They’re often brushed aside in favor of the higher melodies but they bring a core to the sound that really makes a difference in the big picture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim\u2019s virtual visit also included an interview and a question and answer session, hosted by Richardson. The audience included music majors, music faculty, and other students involved in EMU\u2019s music program<\/a>, as well as Preparatory Music Program<\/a> faculty and more general music fans through a Facebook Live livestream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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David Kim instructs on bow hold during a masterclass with EMU music students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to his role as concertmaster, Kim is a well-known solo performer, educator, and adjudicator. Highlights of his 2020-21 season include appearing as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra; teaching\/performance residencies and master classes at the Manhattan School of Music, Bob Jones University, the Prague Summer Nights Festival, the Taipei (Taiwan) Academy and Festival, and continued appearances as concertmaster of the All-Star Orchestra on PBS stations across the United States and online at the Kahn Academy, as well as recitals, speaking engagements, and appearances with orchestras across the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richardson knew Kim from living in Philadelphia; besides their shared profession, they both worshipped at the same church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim is just one of many professional musicians that EMU faculty have sought to connect their students with during this time when in-person performances and programming is restricted (see EMU\u2019s virtual Gala to listen to and enjoy collaborations with The Steel Wheels and AppalAsia<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Masterclass \u201cplus\u201d format was one proposed by Kim when Richardson reached out to him. \u201cWe really thought this worked well, and will be inviting more guest artists to share their wisdom and experience with our students and community in the spring semester,\u201d Richardson said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim fielded all sorts of questions with good humor, at one point urging \u201cno softballs.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was inspired by his honesty and vulnerability addressing everything from performance anxiety to the most inspiring moments of his career to the bizarrest, funniest events on stage,\u201d Richardson said afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performing for the public is not as difficult or scary as performing in front of your colleagues, Kim said, adding that he gets nervous more than a year before his scheduled solo performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra. To prepare, he does \u201cpractice runs in advance\u201d with any audience he can fit into his schedule. If that means \u201c20 different retirement homes\u201d in the Philadelphia area, then so be it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would go and tell them what I was doing, what I was practicing for, and then I would tell them to pray for me,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The payoff for all of this preparation was that by the time he arrives at the venue for the performance, in the situation he was describing, Seoul, Korea, where he had the added pressure of being the first Korean-American concertmaster of a major symphony, Kim said that he knew the piece \u201cinside and out \u2026 I had made mistakes and recovered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim also spoke of how his faith has played a role in his profession and artistry [read more in this article]<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are times when I might be in the wings of Carnegie Hall when I have a big solo coming up,\u201d he said. \u201cI will feel completely overwhelmed. It\u2019s overwhelming the nerves that come in and at those moments, I throw my  hands up and say \u2018God. I know you didn\u2019t put me into this position to fail.\u2019 I swallow hard and walk on the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the pandemic has limited travel and performances, Kim said he learned just how \u201coverscheduled\u201d he was. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you are a concertmaster of a big orchestra and when you have a personality like mine, I love to help with fundraising, cultivating patros and board members. My responsibilities are more than being on stage and leading the orchestra as a concertmaster,\u201d he said. \u201cI have a wonderful solo career where I travel around the world. And I have a third career, teaching \u2026 I have so much more free time and it\u2019s been amazing. I love all that stuff but what I\u2019m hoping when covid is done and we\u2019re back to normal life, I don\u2019t try to jump back in and catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a few more tips from his Q & A.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n