Hong-Jae Kim
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Kim Hong-jae (; born October 10, 1954) is a
Zainichi Korean () are ethnic Koreans who immigrated to Japan before 1945 and are citizens or permanent residents of Japan, or who are descendants of those immigrants. They are a group distinct from South Korean nationals who have immigrated to Japan since t ...
conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...
.


Early life

His first experience with music at an early age was on an upright
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
at his mother's maiden home. In 1967, he entered
Amagasaki 270px, Amagasaki Castle 270px, Aerial view of Amagasaki city center 270px, Amagasaki Station is an industrial city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 455,555 in 223,812 households, and a population de ...
Korean Middle School and studied
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
in the
school band A school band is a group of student musicians who rehearse and perform instrumental music together. A concert band is usually under the direction of one or more conducting, conductors (band directors). A school band consists of woodwind instrum ...
. He also studied improved Korean folk instruments sent from
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...
. In 1969, the School Band of Amagasaki Korean Middle School won the grand prize of 'Competition of Korean Students Resident in Japan' under his direction. In 1973, Kim entered the
Toho Gakuen School of Music is a private university, private music school in Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan. History Toho Gakuen was founded in 1948 in Ichigaya (Tokyo) as the Music School for Children, and two years later moved to Sengawa (current address at Wakabacyo, Chōfu-shi, ...
as one of the first Korean nationals. He changed his clarinet major to
conducting Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or Choir, choral concert. It has been defined as "the art of directing the simultaneous performance of several players or singers by the use of gesture." The primary d ...
and studies under Ken Takaseki and Naoto Otomo in 1975. Before his graduation in 1977, he attended the classes of, among others,
Seiji Ozawa was a Japanese conductor known internationally for his work as music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and especially the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), where he served from 1973 for 29 years. After cond ...
,
Kazuyoshi Akiyama was a Japanese conductor who held conducting posts of symphony orchestras in Japan, Canada and the U.S., such as the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra from 1964 for life, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from 1972 to 1985, the Syracuse Symphony Orche ...
,
Tadashi Mori was a Japanese conducting, conductor and flautist. He performed as flautist in his young days. He studied conducting from Hideo Saito (musician), Hideo Saito, and started his career as conductor. Mori was a music director and principal conduc ...
and Shunsaku Tsutsumi. Upon Tsutsumi's recommendation, he was appointed as resident conductor of the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra while he was studying at Toho. In 1977, he conducted the Toho Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa on the podium at Toho Gakuen's graduation concert.


Début, competition, and television concerts

After graduation, Kim made his official début with the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra on March 22, 1978, at
Shibuya Public Hall (also known as Line Cube Shibuya for sponsorship reasons) is a theater (building), theatre located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It was completed in 1964 to host the Olympic weightlifting, weightlifting events in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The thea ...
, Tokyo. This concert, titled 'Special Concert of (North) Korean Orchestral Works,' got a sensational response-not only as the first conductor of Korean nationality but also as the première of any work in Japan. In the following year, he participated in the Tokyo International Conductors' Competition and was awarded the second prize, along with a special prize named after Hideo Saito. In that same year, he was invited by North Korea to conduct the State Symphony Orchestra of DPRK. In 1980, he conducted concerts featuring prizewinners from
Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...
to
Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's four main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands (i.e. excluding Okinawa and the other Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regio ...
. Kim was appointed as the conductor of a television program titled 'Here comes the orchestra' of
Tokyo Broadcasting System (formerly ) is a Japanese media and licensed broadcasting holding company. It is the parent company of the television network TBS Television and radio network TBS Radio. It has a 28-affiliate television network called Japan News Network, as ...
(TBS) with
Kazushi Ono Kazushi (written: 和志, 和司, 和士, 和史, 一志 or 一至) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese rugby sevens player *, Japanese writer *, Japanese footballer *, Jap ...
and Deryck Inoue in 1980. In the following year, he also conducted another television program titled 'My Concert' of
Nippon Television JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as (NTV) or Nippon TV, is a Japanese television station serving the Kantō region as the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned and operated by the , a sub ...
(NTV). During these two years, he conducted numerous works from
Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
to
Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded ...
and accompanied many well-known soloists, including
Hiroko Nakamura was a Japanese pianist. Born Hiroko Fukuda in Yamanashi, she grew up in Tokyo. She began to study piano at the age of 3 at Toho Gakuen School of Music under Aiko Iguchi. In 1959, whilst a student at Chutobu Junior High School, she won first ...
,
Mitsuko Uchida is a Japanese-English classical pianist and conductor. Born in Japan and naturalised in England, she is particularly notable for her interpretations of Mozart and Schubert. She has appeared with many notable orchestras, recorded a wide repert ...
, Toshia Eto, Ko Iwasaki, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and
Mikhail Pletnev Mikhail Vasilievich Pletnev (, ''Mikha'il Vas'ilevič Plet'nëv''; born 14 April 1957) is a Russian pianist, conductor and composer. Life and career Pletnev was born into a musical family in Arkhangelsk, then part of the Soviet Union. His fath ...
with two regular orchestras, the
New Japan Philharmonic The is a symphony orchestra based in Tokyo, Japan. History It was founded in 1972 with Seiji Ozawa as honorary conductor laureate. The Philharmonic's primary concert venue is the Sumida Triphony Hall. From 2003 to 2013 its music director ...
and the
Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra The is a Japanese symphony orchestra administratively based in Tokyo. The orchestra primarily performs concerts in Tokyo at the Suntory Hall, but also gives concerts at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall and also performs in Yokohama at the Yokoha ...
, as well as orchestras from other cities'. In 1981, Kim became the principal guest conductor of Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra. His other important positions were principal guest conductor of the
Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra The is a symphony orchestra based in Nagoya, Japan, founded in 1966. The orchestra gives concerts primarily at the Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater Concert Hall and the Chukyo University Center for Culture & Arts Aurora Hall. The orchestra gave ...
since 1985 and the principal guest conductor of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra since 1987. In 1987, he toured with the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra in
Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...
and
Wonsan Wonsan (), previously known as Wonsanjin (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwon Province (North Korea), Kangwon Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...
, marking the first appearance of a Japanese orchestra in North Korea. He also performed in
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
with the China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra (now the
China Philharmonic Orchestra The China Philharmonic Orchestra (; abbreviated CPO) is an orchestra founded in Beijing, China, on May 25, 2000, based on the previous China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. It is a division of the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Telev ...
) in 1988.


Meetings with Isang Yun

Kim met the composer
Isang Yun Isang Yun, or Yun I-sang (; 17 September 1917 – 3 November 1995), was a Korean-born composer who made his later career in West Germany. Early life and education Yun was born in Sancheong (Sansei), Korea under Japanese rule, Korea in 1917, ...
in 1986 and became an admirer of his music. He conducted Yun's first work ''Exemplum, in memoriam Kwangju'' on stage of '1st Hankyore Concert' in April 1989. He resigned three orchestras' positions and went to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in September. He studied Yun's works with the composer himself. In 1990, he participated in the 'Pan-Nation Unification Concert' held in Pyongyang and conducted Yun's ''Fanfare und Memorial'' in the presence of the composer. And in 1992, Kim appeared at the '75th Birthday Celebration Festival of Isang Yun' held in Tokyo and conducted Yun's ''Third Symphony premiered in Japan. Kim conducted more than pieces of Yun's works, which premiered in Japan, and was highly praised by the composer.


Crossover, Hankyoreh Concert, and other appearances

Kim's activities were not only formal classical concerts but also
crossover Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Music Albums * ''Cross Over'' (album), a 1987 album by Dan Peek, or the title song * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'', an album by Intrigue * ''Crossover'', an album by ...
and concerts of Korean residents in Japan, including the Hankyoreh Concert (1989–1993). He introduced many North and South Korean songs and orchestral works, including those produced by his maternal uncle, Cheol-Woo Lee. The 8th Hankyore Concert was held in
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
of
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
in September 1992, which was also Kim's début concert in the US. He also met
Joe Hisaishi , known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore and incorporate different genres, inclu ...
, a well-known composer of
Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and serves as honorary chairman. Throughout his career, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Anime, Japanese ani ...
and
Takeshi Kitano , also known as in Japan, is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. During hi ...
's film music, with whom he appeared in many concerts together since 1991. Kim also conducted crossover concerts with
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
musicians including Aiko Takahashi and
Terumasa Hino is a Japanese jazz trumpeter. He is considered one of Japan's finest jazz musicians. His instruments include the trumpet, cornet, and flügelhorn. Early life He was born in Tokyo, Japan, and his father was a trumpeter and tap dancer. Hino start ...
. And he conducted many concert bands in Japan, including
Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra The is a professional concert band based in Tokyo, Japan. TKWO has been called Japan's premiere wind ensemble, one of the most influential Japanese wind bands, and one of the world's leading professional civilian wind bands. History TKWO was ...
and Osaka Municipal Symphonic Band, of which he was a principal conductor from 1991 to 1994. In 1998, he conducted opening ceremony of 7th Winter
Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disability, disabilities. There are Winter Paralympic Games, Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 ...
held in Nagano (produced by Hisaishi.) Following this appearance, he received music prize named after Akeo Watanabe and became the only one that won two grand prizes for Japanese conductor at that time.


First appearance in South Korea

Kim and
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
n violinist Jeong Chan-Woo held a concert named 'Unity Concert' in June 2000. This concert was previously planned in 1985, but the South Korean
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
did not approve of Jeong's departure to Japan due to his North Korean nationality. Thus, this concert was a famous event not only for Korean residents in Japan but also in South Korea. In October 2000, he visited South Korea for the first time for the
ASEM Asem (also spelled Aasem, Assem, Asim, Aasim, Assim ') is a male given name of Arabic origin, which means "savior, protector, guardian, defender." Asem is also a female given name of Kazakh origin, which means "beauty, beautiful, refined, gracef ...
Music Festival held in
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
where he conducted Isang Yun's ''Muak'' and the Asian premiere of
Ferruccio Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary ...
's Piano Concerto played by the well-known pianist Baek Geon-Woo (Kun-Woo Paik) and the
KBS Symphony Orchestra The KBS Symphony Orchestra (KBS 교향악단) is a symphony orchestra based in South Korea. The orchestra principally performs in the KBS Hall and the concert hall of the Seoul Arts Center. History The orchestra was founded in 1956 as the ra ...
. At that time Kim still held North Korean nationality. Howecer, he switched to South Korean nationality in August 2005. By this time, Kim had conducted nearly all orchestras in Japan except the
NHK Symphony Orchestra The is a Japanese broadcast orchestra based in Tokyo. The orchestra gives concerts in several venues, including the NHK Hall, Suntory Hall, and the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. History The orchestra was founded as the ''New Symphony Orchestr ...
. He conducts not only professional but also university, citizen's and other amateur orchestras and concert bands. And he appeared at several concerts of KBS Symphony Orchestra, the
Korean Symphony Orchestra Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...
and the National Orchestra of Korea in South Korea. Since November 2007, Kim has been appointed to his very first position in South Korea as the principal conductor of the Ulsan Symphony Orchestra.


References


Bibliography

* "Hong-Jae Kim, I Conducts Fate (김홍재, 나는 운명을 지휘한다)" by Hong-Jae Kim (dictate) & Seong-Mi Park (editor), Gimm-Young Publishers, Inc. (Korean only)


External links


Official Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Hong-Jae 1954 births Korean conductors (music) Living people People from Itami, Hyōgo Toho Gakuen School of Music alumni Zainichi Korean musicians North Korean expatriates in Germany North Korean expatriates in Japan South Korean expatriates in Japan 21st-century conductors (music)