Kim Trio
A piano trio formed by three sisters: Nayoung Kim (piano), Jiyeon Kim (cello), and Taehyun Kim (violin).
Since winning Third Prize at the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition in Norway in 2003, the trio has gained international recognition through numerous awards at major competitions. Their achievements include top prizes at the Trapani International Chamber Music Competition (Italy, 2004), the Premio Internazionale “Gaetano Zinetti” (Italy, 2005), the European Chamber Music Competition in Karlsruhe (Germany), and the Mendelssohn Competition in Berlin (Germany, 2005).
Following these successes, Kim Trio has performed extensively across Europe, Australia, and South America, appearing in concerts throughout Germany, Italy, Norway, Australia, Brazil, and many other countries. Their performances have been broadcast internationally by major media organizations including ORF (Austria), NDR and RBB (Germany), KBS (Korea), and ABC (Australia). In 2008, the trio released their debut CD with the Berlin-based label CFM Music.
The trio was formed in Austria while studying chamber music with the renowned Altenberg Trio Wien. They graduated from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with a degree in chamber music and continued their studies at the University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover under Hatto Beyerle. Further artistic development followed at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin, where they studied with Eberhard Feltz. In 2008, Kim Trio completed the postgraduate chamber music program at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.
Their musical development has been profoundly influenced by legendary musicians including Menahem Pressler, Bernhard Greenhouse, Mstislav Rostropovich, Walter Levin, and Dario De Rosa.
Kim Trio has received scholarships from the Friedrich Sellheim Foundation (Germany) and the Yehudi Menuhin Associations in Vienna and Hanover, and has also been supported by the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation. In 2009, the trio was awarded the Hermann Lauen Prize in Hamburg, Germany.
In 2006, following their performance at the Levende Classic Festival in Norway, composer Odvar Lønner dedicated his work Der Awatar und die Menschen to Kim Trio. The trio also gave the Korean premiere of Reinhard Flender’s Trio in ein
NAYOUNG KIM
is a pianist renowned for her expressive artistry, technical brilliance, and dynamic stage presence.
Born in Seoul, she began playing the piano at the age of four and gave her first recital at thirteen, performing Chopin’s complete Twelve Études. Just a year later, she made her orchestral debut with the Seoul Symphony Orchestra, marking the beginning of a distinguished international career.
Her musical journey led her to Europe, where she studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. She later completed her Konzertexamen under the guidance of Professor Einar Steen-Nøkleberg at the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.
A formative experience performing chamber music with members of the Vienna Philharmonic sparked a deep devotion to the genre. This inspiration led her to co-found the Kim Trio with her sisters—an ensemble that reflects both her artistic dedication and familial bond. Her commitment to chamber music also inspired further studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin and the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.
Nayoung Kim is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions, including the International Piano Competition in Senigallia (Italy), Prima la Musica (Austria), the International Grieg Piano Competition (Norway), and the International Piano Competition in Épinal (France). With the Kim Trio, she has received awards at the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition (Norway), the International Chamber Music Competition in Trapani (Italy), the Zinetti Chamber Music Competition (Italy), the European Chamber Music Competition in Karlsruhe, and Germany’s Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Competition.
She has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Seoul Symphony Orchestra, Euroasian Philharmonic Orchestra, Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra, Musikkhøgskolens Symfoniorkester (Oslo), Liberec Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica da USP, Orquestra de Câmara Sesiminas, and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. Her international appearances have brought her to prestigious venues including the Berlin Konzerthaus, Vienna Musikverein, Vienna Konzerthaus, Seoul Arts Center, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Shanghai Concert Hall, and Sala São Paulo.
She has worked closely with distinguished musicians such as Hatto Beyerle, Niklas Schmidt, Avo Kouyoumdjian, Menahem Pressler, Dario De Rosa, Joseph Kalichstein, Paul Badura-Skoda, Hans Leygraf, and Ferenc Rados. Their mentorship has profoundly shaped her artistic voice and interpretive depth.
Nayoung Kim continues to perform internationally, praised for her lyrical sensitivity, nuanced interpretations, and refined musical perspective.
JIYEON KIM
Born in Seoul, Korea, Jiyeon Kim began studying the cello at the age of nine before pursuing advanced musical training in Europe. She studied with distinguished teachers, including Adalbert Skocic in Vienna, Tilmann Wick at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, and Raphael Wallfisch at the Mainz University of Music. Her chamber music studies were further shaped by Hatto Beyerle in Hanover, Eberhard Feltz at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin, and Are Sandbakken at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. She also drew artistic inspiration from legendary musicians such as Valentin Erben, Bernard Greenhouse, Frans Helmerson, Walter Levin, Menahem Pressler, and Mstislav Rostropovich.
Jiyeon Kim is a prizewinner of international competitions. Her awards include First Prize at the European Chamber Music Competition in Karlsruhe and the Mendelssohn Prize of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin, as well as additional prizes at the International Chamber Music Competitions in Trapani, Trondheim, and Verona.
As a soloist, she has appeared with orchestras such as the China National Symphony Orchestra, the Orquestra Sinfônica da USP, the Oslo National Academy of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, the Banatul Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Euro-Asian Philharmonic Orchestra. Both as a soloist and chamber musician, she has performed in Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, Italy, Korea, Norway, Austria, and Turkey.
Alongside her concert career, Jiyeon Kim has served as principal cellist of the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra and the Euro-Asian Philharmonic Orchestra in Korea. She has also been active in music education, holding a professorship at the University of Science and Technology in Suzhou, China.
She has also been engaged in music education as a professor at the University of Science and Technology in Suzhou, China.
TAEHYUN KIM
Violinist Taehyun Kim, the youngest of three sisters, began studying the violin at the age of eight and later shaped her musical voice through advanced studies in Vienna, Hannover, Hamburg, and Oslo, immersing herself in violin and chamber music at the heart of the European classical tradition.
She completed her violin studies with Professor Michael Frischenschlager at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and Ulf Schneider at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover. Her chamber music training was further shaped by Hatto Beyerle, Eberhard Feltz, and Are Sandbakken, while she drew additional artistic inspiration from legendary musicians including Valentin Erben, Bernard Greenhouse, Frans Helmerson, Walter Levin, Menahem Pressler, and Mstislav Rostropovich.
Her artistry has been recognized at major international competitions, including Prima la Musica, Trondheim, Trapani, Gaetano Zinetti, the European Chamber Music Competition in Karlsruhe, and the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Competition in Berlin, alongside prestigious scholarships and awards in Austria and Germany.
Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player, Taehyun Kim has performed across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East, with broadcasts on KBS, NDR, NRK, RBB Berlin, and ABC. As a founding member of the Kim Trio, she received top prizes at leading international chamber music competitions, establishing the ensemble’s distinct musical profile early on.
Since 2008, she has been a member of the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, and since 2012 has been actively involved with the Qatar Music Academy, where she contributes extensively to pedagogy and music education.