A Very Proud Teacher!

TTU Clarinet Ensemble performing a Mozart Overture at the 2015 Fall Recital

This semester began with a series of recitals and performances for me, I was anxious to get through my high-paced schedule week by week. After our final Cumberland Quintet concert and BSO's production of Barber of Seville, I had a short break from the relentless performing schedule. My schedule then was taken over by my students' performances, all of which they presented with such spectacular results.

My studio gave a terrific studio recital back in October, featuring some very challenging repertoires. I am very happy to see both the continued progress of the students and new standards they set for themselves each day.

A student duo, Sarah and Anjali, was invited to present a lecture recital at the 2015 National Collegiate Honors Conference in Chicago. It's been a pleasure to working with them and delve deeply into Poulenc's Sonata for Two Clarinets. At the interview with our university's publicity office, I said "Their performance represented the high quality work we pursue at Tech each day and will continue to set new standards for their colleagues." You can read more about their presentation here.

Sarah and Anjali performing in at NCHC National Conference in Chicago

I am also thrilled to announce that two of my students were recently named Tennessee state winner and alternate of 2015 MTNA Young Artist Competition and Chamber Music Competition, respectively. Sarah, who gave a truly mature and heartfelt performance of Brahms's F Minor Sonata, Op. 120/1 and Donald Martino's virtuosic "A Set for Clarinet" gained the unanimous vote from all judges to be the first place winner. This is Sarah's second time winning MTNA/TN, and she will precede to the Southern Division round in January 2016 in Tampa, FL. Michaela who performed works by Bach/Vivaldi, Ibert, Ligeti, and Arnold as the clarinetist of Peachtree Woodwind Quintet (coached by my colleague Bill Woodworth) placed second in the Chamber Music category. You can view the complete result of the MTNA/TN Competition here.

Sarah with her award certificate - MTSU campus

Michaela with her Peachtree Quintet colleagues

Another Big News (updated on November 23, 2015):

Michaela Cundari just won the Derryberry Concerto Competition held at Tennessee Tech University on Monday, November 23. This is one of the highest honor bestowed upon the entire music student body at TTU. Michaela will perform Copland Clarinet Concerto with BSO on February 14, 2016. Congratulations, Michaela!!

Both Sarah and Michaela played amazing senior recitals this semester:

Michaela's creative Senior Recital poster: Vanhal's Clarinet Sonata, Copland's Clarinet Concerto, and Scott McAllister's "Freebirds."

After Sarah's Senior Recital. Her program: Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, Donald Martino's "A Set for Clarinet," and Brahms's Clarinet Sonata, Op. 120/1

Please stay tuned for some other exciting news to come from my studio!

Wonkak Kim 4/10/15 Wonkak Kim 4/10/15

Student Research Award

My students Sarah and Anjali won the College of Education Award at the 2015 TTU Research Day Competition — My students Sarah and Anjali won the College of Education Award at the 2015 TTU Research Day Competition

I encouraged some of my students to enter the Annual Student Research Day Competition at Tennessee Tech earlier this year. I try to remind all music students about the importance of exploring untapped opportunities and unconventional channel to showcase our works. This event has been traditionally a playground for science and engineering students, and no music majors have entered in the past as far as I know.

Fortunately, a duo of my students decided to take up on the idea, and came up with a topic: "Relating Humidity to Reed Cane Thickness and Sound Quality." For a period of few weeks, they preserved reeds on various controlled humidity level in my studio and tested them with various measurements and playing response. To me, it was a unique way to approach this important aspect of clarinet playing and present it in a clear and objective manner. Their final poster was put up again over 100 highly competitive entrants, and I am proud to report that they were selected as the undergraduate winners of the College of Education Prize. As a participating judge (although I did not judge my own students' work), I could attest the outstanding quality of the work by my students.

Wonkak Kim 4/6/15 Wonkak Kim 4/6/15

TTU Symphony Band in Chicago

TTU Symphony Band clarinet section on stage at Chicago Symphony Center

It was a pleasure to accompany my students in TTU Symphony Band during their trip to Chicago last weekend. The ensemble prepared some great selections, including Frank Ticheli's Blue Shades, which features a number of exciting solos for clarinet and bass clarinet (you can watch the performance clip here). I was immensely thrilled and proud to hear my students' outstanding playing at all rehearsals and concert I got to attend that weekend.

Warming up for at a local HS before the big performance in the evening

Aside from all the playing, we got to do other fun things as well such as going to CSO/Uchida concert on Saturday evening and spontaneous ice cream social at midnight in downtown Chicago...