시음 /si-úm/ (PoetryMusic) by Jeeyoon Kim in Collaboration with World Champion Surfer/Author Shaun Tomson and SD Poets Rudy Francisco and Michael Klam

For about a month now, I have had the extraordinary honor of collaborating with classical pianist, Jeeyoon Kim. She commissioned poems from me, Rudy Francisco, and one of my heroes, world champion surfer and author, Shaun Tomson.

Jeeyoon and I met at her studio here in San Diego. In our first hour together, she played a full, new concert for me, experimenting with poetry and music… a command performance! Our ensuing discussions about poetry ranged from haiku to free verse to the eternal influence of nature, love, and resilience in old and modern composition.

Jeeyoon will present her newest project 시음 /si-úm/ (PoetryMusic) for the first time ever in La Jolla during National Poetry Month. She will then tour the project around the nation. I hope you’ll come and experience, first-hand, Jeeyoon’s unparalleled talent, and some poetry from the fellas! Find all the details below, and tickets are available here: https://ljms.org/events/si-um/

시음 /si-úm/ 

with Classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim

Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.

The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (Baker-Baum Concert Hall)

7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA 92037

Award-winning classical pianist Jeeyoon Kim is thrilled to announce her newest project, 시음 /si-úm/, which blends classical piano with poetry and black and white photography by Allen T. Brown. The title of this concert, 시음, pronounced as /si-úm/, is a blend meaning poetry and music in Korean. It is also the title of a performance project and album that Jeeyoon has been developing since the pandemic began. She will take this solo piano performance to 20 cities across the U.S. in the upcoming concert season, including a performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Her very first performance of this project will be at a world class concert hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, in La Jolla, San Diego County.  

In search of that special connection between music and words, Jeeyoon is collaborating with famed poets and writers for this project, including South Korea’s Tae-Joo Na (나태주), the former world champion surfer and author Shaun Tomson, the founder of Poetry & Art San Diego Michael Klam and San Diego poet Rudy Francisco.

The program includes Chopin’s Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major, Op. 22 and a sparkling work by the late Ukrainian composer Nikolai Kapustin.

A native of South Korea, Kim has inspired a dedicated and passionate fan base by defying conventional wisdom and expanding on the traditional classical concert experience. She is an art activist, educator, podcaster, award-winning performer and author of her newest book, “Whenever You’re Ready”.

Jeeyoon began studying the piano when she was just 4 years old, and her love of music and the piano propelled her through her undergraduate studies in piano performance in her native Korea. After moving to the U.S., she graduated with distinction with a master’s degree and a doctorate degree in piano performance with a full scholarship from Indiana University’s renowned Jacob School of Music. 

Jeeyoon says, “As a pianist, one of my most rewarding moments is when I feel that I am deeply connected with listeners in the very moment of sharing music. My mission as a pianist is to create a bridge between audiences and me as a performer, so they get to have a chance to discover the magic of music. I have always hoped that at some point, my music would be delivered to someone’s heart. I can’t think of a better way of spending my life. To me, music is poetic and poetry is music to my ear.” 

• “One of the next great stars of the music world.” —Manistee News
• “Exquisite, absolutely phenomenal! She is a perfect window for music to speak for itself. That is a rare gift to the world…” —Susan Kitterman, former Artistic Director from New World Youth Symphony
• “I urge you to make Jeeyoon Kim’s acquaintance. She is very much her own artist, and possesses that most important quality, the ability to make you want to listen to her.” -Dave Saemann, Fanfare magazine 

TICKET INFORMATION: Single General Admission tickets for the Classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim’s 시음 /si-úm/ Concert are $48 each and are available at: https://ljms.org/events/si-um/

LOCATION: The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Avenue, La Jolla, CA 92037

Map and Directions:  https://ljms.org/your-visit/directions-parking/

More about Jeeyoon Kim at www.jeeyoonkim.com.

“Like” on Facebook – Jeeyoon Kim, Pianist; “Follow” on Twitter @Jeeyoon_Pianist and Instagram @jeeyoonkimpianist with the hashtag #siumconcert

###