Earl Kim (1920–1998; né Eul Kim) was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, and music pedagogue. He was of Korean descent.

Early life, education, and training

Kim was born on January 6, 1920, in Dinuba, California, to immigrant Korean parents. He began piano studies at age 9, studying under Homer Grun, and he soon developed an interest in composition. He attended

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

from 1939 to 1940, studying under

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...

. Kim briefly attended the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

in 1940. His studies were paused when he served the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, as a captain in intelligence. After the war, he returned to study at UC Berkeley under Ernest Bloch, and Roger Sessions; and he received his BA degree in 1950 and MA degree in 1952. In 1967, he earned a second MA degree from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

Career

From 1952 until 1967, Kim taught at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. In 1967 he left Princeton for

, where he taught until his retirement in 1990. Kim is known for his vocal and music theater works, many of which use texts by Samuel Beckett, and for his expressive, often tonal style. Reviewing a New World Records CD of Kim's works, Anthony Tommasini wrote in

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

, "As a composer and a teacher of composers, Earl Kim espoused a principle so simple it should have seemed obvious. He maintained that every sound in a piece should be precise, purposeful and above all faithful to the composer's sensibilities." In 1971 and 1972, Kim collaborated with his wife dancer Mimi Kagan on the work "Exercises en Route", which toured and featured text by Samuel Beckett, and

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

soloist performer Benita Valente. His art songs have been performed by Bethany Beardslee, Karol Bennett, Merja Sargon, Benita Valente, and Dawn Upshaw. He died on November 19, 1998, of lung cancer at his home in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, at the age of 78.

Personal life

Kim was married three times, to Nora Philipsborn (in 1947), dancer Mimi Kagan (in 1956), and Martha Potter (in 1977); and he had two daughters.

Discography

*Where grief slumbers. Dawn Upshaw, soprano; Elektra Nonesuch 79262-2 *Ophelia. Margit Kern, accordion; Deutschlandfunk/Genuin GEN 13267 *Two Bagatelles. Robert Helps, piano; Composers Recordings, Inc. CRI CD 874 *Earthlight. Merja Sargon, soprano; Martha Potter, violin. New World Records NW 237 *Exercises en route; Now and Then; Three Poems in French; Dear Linda. Benita Valente, soprano; Karol Bennett, soprano; Eva Kim, narrator; Metamorphosen Chamber Ensemble, Scott Yoo, conductor. New World Records 80561-2 *Violin Concerto; Dialogues, for Piano and Orchestra; Cornet, for Narrator and Orchestra. Cecylia Arzewski, violin; William Wolfram, piano; Robert Kim, narrator; RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra; Scott Yoo, conductor. Naxos 8.559226 *Three Poems in French. Lucy Shelton, soprano; Mendelssohn String Quartet; BIS SACD-1264 *Violin Concerto. Itzhak Perlman, violin, The Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa, conductor. His Master's Voice 067 EL 27 0051 1; and Angel Records DS-38011

References

Bibliography

* Brandt, Anthony, liner notes to "Earl Kim" (New World Records, 2001) *Barkin, E. "Earl Kim: Earthlight"; ''

Perspectives of New Music ''Perspectives of New Music'' (PNM) is a peer-reviewed academic journal specializing in music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Musi ...

'' xix/1–2 (1980–81), pages 269–77. *Brody, Martin. "Kim, Earl". ''Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online''. 31 December 2008 . *Jeon, M.-E. "I am Concerned with What is Good", ''Sonus'', vii/11 (1987), pages 1–9 nterview *Tassell, J. "Golden Silences: the Flowering of Earl Kim", ''Boston Globe Magazine'' (27 February 1983). *Forbes, Elliot; Lockwood, Lewis; Martino, Donald; & Rands, Bernard (Chair). "Faculty of Arts and Sciences—Memorial Minute—Earl Kim", The Harvard University Gazette Archives (May 25, 2000

External links

Interview with Earl Kim
May 19, 1995
Earl Kim's page at Theodore Presser Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Earl 1920 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American classical composers Princeton University faculty Harvard University faculty American classical musicians of Korean descent American male classical composers People from Dinuba, California Pupils of Arnold Schoenberg Pupils of Roger Sessions Pupils of Ernest Bloch Classical musicians from California Deaths from lung cancer in Massachusetts United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II University of California, Berkeley alumni Harvard University alumni