Piano Educator & Professor at Claremont Graduate University
Instrument: Piano
Position: Professor, Department of Music, Claremont Graduate University
Professional Roles: International Artist, Arts Administrator & Cultural Ambassador
Board: Los Angeles Master Chorale
Recording Artist: Sony Classical
About Jenny Soonjin Kim
Professor • International Artist • Arts Administrator • Cultural Ambassador
Dr. Jenny Soonjin Kim is an internationally recognized pianist, educator, arts administrator, and cultural ambassador whose career bridges higher education leadership, international cultural diplomacy, and artistic innovation. She currently serves as Professor in the Department of Music at Claremont Graduate University and has established herself as a leader in developing strategic partnerships among universities, arts organizations, and international cultural institutions.
In addition to her academic appointment, Dr. Kim serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, where she has contributed to the organization’s Board Engagement and Education Committees since 2014. Through this role, she has worked to expand collaborations among educational institutions, community organizations, and international artistic partners, using music as a vehicle for cultural exchange and public engagement.
Dr. Kim has become widely recognized for her ability to conceive, develop, and lead large-scale artistic initiatives. At Claremont Graduate University, she founded and serves as Artistic Director of the CGU House Concert Series, transforming student performance opportunities into a signature community engagement program that brings together faculty, students, alumni, and distinguished guest artists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she created the innovative CGU Virtual Concert Series, ensuring that artistic activity and student engagement continued through digital platforms while maintaining public access through the university’s online channels. She also founded the CGU Guest Artist Series, inviting internationally distinguished leaders from music, higher education, and the arts to mentor doctoral students and foster interdisciplinary dialogue.
Her leadership extends beyond the university through significant international cultural diplomacy initiatives. She served as the principal liaison for the Republic of Korea–United States 70th Anniversary Celebration Concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall, coordinating collaboration among the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles, and governmental and community partners. More recently, she spearheaded the “Building Bridges” Initiative, facilitating a landmark collaboration between the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the National Chorus of Korea, creating new opportunities for long-term artistic partnership between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
As an artistic leader, Dr. Kim has developed several internationally recognized long-term projects. Her Beethoven Complete Piano Concertos Project has brought performances of Beethoven’s five piano concertos to leading venues in Austria and beyond, culminating in an invitation to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”) at the 62nd Beethoven International Music Festival in Teplice, Czech Republic, as part of the international commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death. She has also been selected to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 at the Mozarteum Großer Saal in Salzburg during the worldwide celebration of Mozart’s 270th birthday.
Dr. Kim’s international career has included appearances at some of Europe’s most distinguished venues. She performed Beethoven’s Triple Concerto at the Golden Hall (Goldener Saal) of the Musikverein in Vienna as part of the 130th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Korea and Austria, followed by an invited encore performance at the Berlin Philharmonie with the Nürnberger Symphoniker, further strengthening cultural exchange through music. She has also appeared as featured soloist with the Orquestra Sinfónica de Torrevieja in Spain and has participated as an invited artist and lecturer at international festivals in China and Taiwan.
Equally significant is Dr. Kim’s contribution to the rediscovery of historical keyboard repertoire. As an exclusive Sony Classical artist, she recorded Eternal Beethoven, featuring Beethoven’s late piano works in Vienna. For Brilliant Classics, she led one of the first complete modern recording projects of Leopold Koželuch’s 50 Keyboard Sonatas, resulting in a landmark 12-CD collection that helped revive international interest in this neglected Classical composer. She also conceived and led the world-premiere complete recording project of Johann Friedrich Doles’ Complete Keyboard Sonatas, making an important contribution to historical keyboard scholarship and performance. Earlier in her career, she recorded for the American label Arabesque Records, earning a nomination for the prestigious Gilmore Artist Award. Her recordings have received international acclaim from publications including Early Music America, All About Jazz, and Piano News (Germany).
An active scholar and educator, Dr. Kim has presented invited lectures and lecture-recitals for the California Association of Professional Music Teachers, the Historical Keyboard Society of North America, and numerous international organizations. Her presentations explore subjects ranging from historical improvisation and fortepiano performance practice to Mozart, Beethoven, Goethe, Edgard Varèse, and Frank Zappa, demonstrating an interdisciplinary approach that connects music history, literature, performance, and pedagogy. She has also authored a series of scholarly articles on historical keyboard performance and fortepiano studies, contributing to public scholarship and music education.
Committed to student success, Dr. Kim has supervised numerous graduate performance degree recitals and served on many doctoral supervisory committees at Claremont Graduate University. Under her mentorship, students have secured faculty appointments, major awards, international performances, and professional opportunities across the United States and abroad. Her educational philosophy emphasizes artistic excellence, leadership development, and community engagement, preparing students not only as performers but also as future educators and cultural leaders.
Through her work as an educator, performer, administrator, and cultural ambassador, Dr. Jenny Soonjin Kim has built a career defined by institutional collaboration, international partnership, artistic innovation, and service to higher education. Her leadership demonstrates how music can serve as a catalyst for academic excellence, cross-cultural understanding, and enduring institutional impact.
Charleston International Music Competition Teacher Partner
Jenny Soonjin Kim is featured in the official Charleston International Music Competition Teacher Directory as part of the CIMC Teacher Partner Program.