Bomsori

Sustained by her deep emotional hinterland, Bomsori Kim's passionate music-making is driven by a powerful urge to communicate. The South Korean violinist has already achieved superstar status in her homeland and is fast becoming one of today's most sought-after soloists. Her breathtaking technical command serves as a vehicle for expressing every nuance, from grand dramatic outbursts to the subtlest of lyrical inflections. Bomsori, whose unusual first name means "sound of spring", was born in Daegu in 1989. Her music-loving parents encouraged their daughter's innate musical talent. She took piano lessons at the age of four, began playing violin a year later and soon joined her parents and siblings in the family ensemble. While singing and ballet were among Bomsori's childhood passions, she devoted her full attention to violin at the age of seven when she heard a performance by Kyung Wha-Chung. After graduating from Seoul National University, where she studied with Young Uck Kim, Bomsori received a full scholarship to complete her postgraduate training with a master's degree and artist diploma at New York's Juilliard School. Her formidable combination of natural talent, hard work and compelling artistry also returned impressive results on the international competition circuit. She won prizes at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, the International Sibelius Violin Competition, the ARD International Music Competition, the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition Hannover and the Sendai International Music Competition. In 2016, Bomsori won Second Prize, Critic's Prize, and nine additional special prizes at the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition. Rafał Blechacz was so impressed by the TV broadcast of her final-round performance that he invited her to work on his next chamber music project album for Deutsche Grammophon and went on to give recitals together in Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada and the US. In recent seasons, Bomsori has performed with, among others, the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and with conductors Fabio Luisi, Jaap van Zweden, Marin Alsop, Hannu Lintu and Sakari Oramo. Bomsori signed an exclusive agreement with the yellow label in 2021. Her solo debut recording, Violin on Stage, was released in 2021, showcasing original works and arrangements of music written for or inspired by opera or ballet, reflecting her desire to revive the legacy of such legendary violinists as Heifetz, Milstein and Kogan – renowned for performing virtuosic transcriptions – as well as the close bond she feels with Poland, its music and musicians. With support from the Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation, Bomsori currently plays a 1774 violin by Joannes Baptista Guadagnini.