A Peek at My Studio - Vandoren M30D Mouthpieces!

September 7, 2014 Wonkak Kim

My studio is located in the basement of our home. Although it does not have any windows (my wife's studio is also in the basement, but it is on the walk-out side with plenty of sunlight), it is almost entirely soundproof. It feels very cozy, and I can play pretty much any time during the day or night. I try to keep it fairly clean, but certain things have been going on to keep it quite messy during this weekend.

After months of very busy performing schedule, I finally have a week or so to sit back and relax. So I decided to try some new mouthpieces. Several colleagues told me their positive experiences with Vandoren M30D. My wonderful friends at DANSR kindly sent me some samples to try over next few weeks, and they arrived just in time!

Although the "D" models are Boehm system mouthpieces adapted to the German or Reformed Boehm clarinets, they do work fine with regular Boehm system. I went with M30D, which according to Vandoren has "a good balance between timbre and roundness."

Upon my first few minutes of trial, I immediately noticed they are very different from my current set up. I had to come down significantly on reed strength (from V12 3.5+ to V12 3 or 3.5) and use a ligature that is much freer. Silverstein ligature, one of my recent acquisition, seems to accommodate it fairly well (the string-inspired design also seems to be right fit for these German mouthpieces). Vandoren flyer recommends "56 rue Lepic" but I still prefer the sound and control I get from V12 (I tried samples of rue Lepic 3-3.5+ and V12 3-3.5+ that I received before coming to the conclusion).

These are some of my early observations:

Noticeably consistent and uniform sound throughout registers
A very refined tone (darker than my order setup but with lots of high frequency ring) but maybe too "artificial" for my taste
Very easy blowing
Incredible improvement on the intonation. Although the mouthpiece is set for A=441Hz, I seem to be able to manage it for both A=440 and A=442 without much problem.
The altissimo register seems to suffer the most. I hope this is something that I can overcome after some time getting used to the slightly adapted embouchure.

I picked three that I liked the most out of the eight I received and plan on trying them out in the "field" during next couple weeks. Fortunately, I have rehearsals and concerts that would test this new set-up to a great extent (principal part for Kodaly's Dances from Galanta, Brahms Symphony No. 4, Stephan Krehl's Clarinet Quintet, and various WW quintet music). I am very hopeful as the early result is rather promising. I will post some follow up thoughts in few days.

Yay (or sigh) for more mouthpieces!

KBS 1FM Classical Music Studio - Devienne Clarinet Sonata

September 5, 2014 Wonkak Kim

Yesterday, my François Devienne Clarinet Sonatas CD was prominently featured as the "Recommended Album" on Korean Broadcasting System's popular show Classical Music Studio. The show was broadcasted nationally and can be heard again on the below website (click September 5 show):

http://www.kbs.co.kr/radio/1fm/kbsmusic/replay/2282845_51726.html

9월 5일 KBS음악실에 저의 낙소스사 앨범인 François Devienne Clarinet Sonatas가 음악실 추천 음반으로 다시한번 소개 되었습니다. 위에 링크에서 9월 5일 방송을 클릭하시면 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.

2014 August in South Korea

September 5, 2014 Wonkak Kim

I feel very fortunate having spent incredible last three weeks of my summer in Korea. The trip is long but I take it quite frequently to visit my family. This time, I had all that, some great food, and also lots of music.

During the first week, I had a chance to meet and work with wonderful people at Duo Music Seoul. Not only they took a great care of my instruments, but spent untold amount of hours with me to make sure that I feel comfortable with the Buffet Prestige basset clarinet. I was also invited to give a lecture entitled "Mozart, Stadler, and the Basset Clarinet" at Duo Hall for a group of brilliant clarinet student's from Seoul's leading universities and high schools.

My CD is displayed far right at Duo Music's Gallery

I was both anxious and stimulated for my upcoming performance of Mozart's Clarinet Concert, K. 622 on basset clarinet with Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra. Not only this was my debut with basset clarinet, but I was told that I am the first Korean clarinetist to have done it in Korea! The Seungnam Arts Center was truly impressive with a massive complex of concert halls, opera house, art galleries and restaurants:

They also had some large banners with name on all over the street!

The street in front of Seungnam Arts Center had full of these banners

Maestro Lim and musicians of the orchestra were very considerate and helped me to focus on my music making. I did not feel one-hundred per cent in commune with the instrument, yet, but gradually shifted my thoughts from various technical problems back to the music.

The performance will be broadcasted on Arte TV Korea, and I plan on posting the video when it becomes available. For the time being, I put together some clips from our dress rehearsal on my Video page.

I got to do some things that only famous people do:

It was also nice to catch up with many friends in Seoul. I and Grace got to hang out a bit and play a concert with our violinist friend Jiyeon. In preparing for our recital, we crammed in few hours in this secret location at the heart of Seoul ran by her management.

We ordered in some pizza with sweet potato topping

Our concert took place at Maria Callas Hall during lunchtime, and the program featured some short, but exciting works by composers like Saint-Saens, Widor, Piazzolla, etc. And of course, I played the Adagio from K. 622 on my basset clarinet. The concert was documented in detail (in Korean, and with many pictures...) here.

We were even mentioned in a table mat in the restaurant

After the first performance by our "trio"

[Press Clipping] Exploring New Opportunities with Mixed Chamber Ensembles with Wonkak Kim and enhakē

August 3, 2014 Wonkak Kim

The following article appeared on the official blog of the International ClarinetFest 2014 following my performance/lecture with enhakē at the ClarinetFest in Baton Rouge, LA. The article is written by my wonderful colleague Dr. Tim Phillips, clarinet professor at Troy University.

________________________

On Saturday at 10:00 AM in the Black Box Theater, clarinetist Wonkak Kim and his chamber ensemble enhakē presented a lecture entitled “Exploring New Opportunities with Mixed Chamber Ensembles.” The ensemble consisted of Kim, violinist M. Brent Williams, cellist Katherine Geeseman Decker, and pianist Grace Eunhye Choi. (It should be noted that Choi is not a regular member of the group, but was filling in for one member who had recently had a child.)

The lecture began with the group performing the Breakdown Tango by John Mackey. This work was originally composed for Antares (formerly Elm City Ensemble) and has been performed by them at least 100 times. After the performance, Kim presented some “trivia” information about the group. He indicated that they met when they were students at Florida State University, hence the name of the group. Enhakē actually means “sound” in the Seminole language. He then guided the lecture through a series of topics: Disclaimer — things don’t always work out as planned, working with each other, establishing short-term goals, taking advantage of each other, reaching out, taking tangos to Argentina and choros to Brazil, (re)investing in the future, commissions, and recording.

Kim stressed the importance of developing friendships with the members of your chamber group. Of course, as life evolves, it is likely that you will eventually encounter individual changes of location and family circumstances. Yet, these changes do not mean that the ensemble can no longer rehearse and perform. He suggested having a handful of pieces that you return to frequently, allowing the group to really get to know each other as musicians.

Violinist M. Brent Williams explained that he had done several arrangements for the group and they performed two of these arrangements, Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla and a Brazilian choro. They noted that all of these arrangements are available for purchase on their website www.enhake.com. The session ended with the group performing a section of a new piece they recently commissioned from well-known composer Libby Larsen.

Throughout the lecture, Wonkak Kim was engaging and jovial. The other members of the group chimed in occasionally, and their performances were of the highest quality. This session was an excellent contribution to the Clarinetist as Entrepreneur theme of this conference.

–Notes by Timothy Phillips
Timothy Phillips serves as Associate Professor of Clarinet at the John M. Long School of Music at Troy University in Troy, Alabama, and manages Clarinet Corner, weekly program on Troy University Public Radio.

Source: http://clarinetfest.wordpress.com/2014/08/...

Reubin O'D Askew Young Alumni Award

June 21, 2014 Wonkak Kim

Pictured at the 2014 Young Alumni Awards Dinner (left to right): Shayne Mifsud, Kevin Garvey, Wonkak Kim, Donna Lou Askew, Layla Dowdy, Carisa Champion-Lippmann and FSU Interim President Garnett Stokes.

I feel both incredibly honored and humbled to be one of the six recipients of the Florida State University's Reubin O'D Askew Young Alumni Award:

"The Florida State University Alumni Association’s Thirty Under 30 Award was created to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of FSU’s young alumni. Each recipient must show exceptional achievement and significant contributions to his or her profession, community/society or university. The recipient must exemplify outstanding professional and personal development either through traditional channels or innovative approaches.

"Up to six honorees may be chosen to also receive the Reubin O'D. Askew Young Alumni Award by members of the FSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors' Awards Committee. The Askew Award, presented for the first time in the spring of 2012, is the highest honor bestowed upon young alumni by the Alumni Association. "

http://one.fsu.edu/thirtyunder30

The most exciting part was to meet with and get to know the fellow awardees and other Thirty under 30 inductees. They all had amazing stories to share, and the reception dinner was one inspiring evening! I look forward to continue making the best out of my career for many decades to come. I also feel immensely proud to be a Nole!

FSU Grads Made Good at FSU Alumni Center

Since I was in Tallahassee, I drove by the old apartment I used to live while in grad school. Nostalgia...

Alumni Dinner Reception. Nice food, isn't it?

Steinway Society of Nashville Recital

June 9, 2014 Wonkak Kim

Program:

Charles-Marie Widor - Introduction et Rondo, op. 72

François Devienne - Clarinet Sonata No. 2

Leo Weiner - peregi verbunk, op. 40

Johannes Brahms - Clarinet Sonata, op. 120, No. 1

[Press Clipping] Clarinet Day at Troy University

March 26, 2014 Wonkak Kim

Clarinets will focus attention on John M. Long School of Music

Posted: Wednesday, 26 March 2014

TROY - Clarinet students from the region will descend on Troy University Saturday for the John M. Long School of Music's Clarinet Day.

Designed to bring world-class clarinetists together for a day of teaching and performances, students will attend artist recitals, master classes and end the day by playing in a large clarinet choir.

"We do it to provide an additional inspiring learning experience for our clarinet students and to attract high school clarinet students to the Troy Campus that day," said Dr. Timothy Phillips, an assistant professor of clarinet who organizes the day.

Guest artists for the day are Jon Manasse, who instructs clarinet at Rochester, N.Y.-based Eastman School of Music; Bil Jackson, a professor of clarinet at Vanderbilt University; and Wonkak Kim, of Tennessee Tech University. They will be joined by pianist Eun-hye Grace Choi and Grammy-nominated Susan Grace.

Other Clarinet Day faculty are Katrina Phillips, clarinet instructor at Alabama State University, Jennifer Tinberg and Patricia Crispino, both adjunct clarinet instructors for the School of Music.

Recitals take place at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Choral Room of Long Hall on the Troy Campus, and the final concert will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Long Hall's Band Room. The concerts are free and open to the public.

Sponsors include the Buffet Group USA, Yamaha, Vandoren USA, Rico Reeds, Capitol Music, Art's Music, Sigma Alpha Iota, Kappa Kappa Psi, Troy Family Dentistry, Cupcakes Y'all in Enterprise, the John M. Long School of Music, and Troy University Bands.

Clarinet Day is one of several activities on the Troy Campus on Saturday, which is Spring Preview Day for prospective students. Also scheduled is the annual T-Day Game, other sporting events, an Alumni Reception, the Journalism Awards Banquet and the TROY Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Source: http://troy.edu/news/articles/2014/03/clar...

A student named Tennessee state winner of the MTNA Young Artist Woodwind Competition!

November 3, 2013 Wonkak Kim

Sarah McMichen, a freshman clarinet performance major in my studio, was named the winner of the 2014 MTNA Young Artist Competition in Tennessee. Her program included Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 2, Poulenc's Clarinet Sonata, Sutermeister's Capriccio for Solo Clarinet, and Saint-Saëns' Clarinet Sonata. She competed among 12 undergraduate and graduate students from all over the state of Tennessee. She is set to perform at the Southern Division Competition in Louisville, KY in January 2014.

Source: http://www.tnmta.org/admin/resources/mtna-...

A student to be featured as a soloist with Maryville Orchestra

February 23, 2013 Wonkak Kim

Here is an article from The Greenville Sun published on February 23, 2013 about my student Sarah McMichen on her recent win at the Maryville College Concerto Competition. Sarah was featured as a soloist with the orchestra performing Weber's Concertino.

Sarah McMichen Featured Soloist In March 4 Concert

MARYVILLE - The Orchestra of Maryville College will present a "Showcase of Area Artists" on March 4, with Greeneville's Sarah McMichen to be one of eight soloists.

McMichen will perform Concertino for Clarinet in E flat Major, op. 26 by Carl Maria von Weber.

McMichen is the daughter of John McMichen and Cynthia Tannert and is a freshman at Tennessee Technological University, where she is studying clarinet under Dr. Wonkak Kim.

Previously, McMichen studied under Randall Misamore.

She is a member of the TTU Clarinet Society, the TTU Wind Ensemble, the TTU Marching Band and the TTU Clarinet Quartet.

She previously was a member of the Knoxville Youth Jazz Orchestra, the Symphony of the Mountains Youth Orchestra and the East Tennessee Youth Wind Ensemble.

In 2012, she attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and she participated in the Tennessee All-State Jazz Band and TTU Festival of Winds and Percussion.

In 2011, she attended the Governor's School for the Arts. She participated in the Tennessee All-State Concert Band in 2010 and 2011.

Conductor Bill Robinson will lead the orchestra in a performance of concerto works at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 4, in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center for the Arts on the college campus.

The annual Showcase of Area Artists provides a performance opportunity for talented area musicians and features a wide variety of musical styles and instruments.

Artists are selected by a panel of judges during auditions held each December.

A college and community ensemble, the Orchestra at Maryville College brings live symphonic performances to the public stage four times per season.

"The Showcase Concert is the high water mark of what the college orchestra is all about," Robinson said in a press release. "We give young, extremely talented students the rare opportunity to perform as soloists with full symphonic accompaniment. It is the perfect blend of our educational mission, as well as our role of bringing live classical music to our community."

Tickets are available at the Clayton Center Box Office and are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors (age 60 and older) and $5 for non-MC students. Tickets are free to MC faculty, staff and students with ID (although a printed ticket is required for admission).

For more information, contact the Division of Fine Arts at (865) 981-8150.

Source: http://www.greenevillesun.com/news/sarah-m...

[Press Clipping] Chamber music concert set for museum

January 10, 2013 Wonkak Kim

An Article from The Albany Herald, GA published on January 10, 2013

Wonkak Kim, Brent Williams, Katherine Geeseman, and Eun-Hee Park are the enhake musicians who will play at the Albany Museum of Art on Sunday (Jan. 13, 2013) at 4 p.m. as part of the Jane and Harry Willson Chamber Music Series.

ALBANY, Ga. -- The second concert of a new chamber music series will feature the internationally acclaimed enhake, an ensemble consisting of violin, clarinet, cello and piano, at the Albany Museum of Art at 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Jane and Harry Willson Chamber Music Series is a collaboration of the Albany Symphony Orchestra and the art museum honoring Jane Willson and her late husband for their support of the arts in Southwest Georgia.

Enhake is composed of Korean-born clarinetist Wonkak Kim, cellist Katherine Geeseman, Korean pianist Eun-Hee Park and violinist M. Brent Williams.

The group's 2010 Carnegie Hall recital, Made in America, was lauded for its "rock solid rhythmic integrity ... strengths in balance, intonation and musicality" and described as a "polished, yet spontaneous performance" (The New York Concert Review).

The grand-prize winner of the Yellow Springs (Ohio) Chamber Music Competition (2009), gold medalist of the International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition at Carnegie Hall (2008) and laureate of the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition (2011), enhake regularly performs throughout the world.

A staunch advocate of new music, they collaborate with leading composers such as Libby Larsen, Peter Lieuwen and Edward Knight who have written for and dedicated music to the group. enhake has recorded extensively and can be heard on NPR stations across the country as well as from its CDs on the Emeritus and Naxos labels.

Williams is currently concertmaster of the Albany Symphony, assistant concertmaster of the Tallahassee Symphony and principal second violin of the Valdosta Symphony. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in many concerts in international locales. Williams has been a lecturer of Violin and World Music at Valdosta State University since 2008 where he performs with the Azalea String Quartet and is the director and founder of VSU's Pan-American Ensemble.

A laureate of the Presser Music Award, Kim received over a dozen international prizes and is frequently featured with orchestras and ensembles worldwide. Professor Kim joined the music faculty at Tennessee Technological University in 2011, where he performs as the principal clarinetist of the Bryan Symphony and the Cumberland Quintet. In addition, Kim serves as principal clarinet of the Albany Symphony.

Geeseman has performed extensively as a solo and chamber musician since 2001. She has performed in master classes with Zuill Bailey, Thomas Landschoot, the Miami String Quarter and Wesley Baldwin. Ms. Geeseman has studied under Daniel Morganstern and is now completing her doctoral degree at Florida State University where she studies with Gregory Sauer. Geeseman serves as a principal cellist of the Albany Symphony.

Park is frequently in demand as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborative pianist. Recently joining the faculty at the University of Southern Mississippi, she also teaches at the annual Chapel Hill (N.C.) International Chamber Music Workshop and Southern Miss Piano Institute. She holds her degrees from Florida State University (D.M.), Oklahoma City University (M.M.) and Colorado Mesa University (B.A.)

Enhake's album "Gulfstream" (Naxos) was selected as "Music US Choice" by the BBC Music Magazine (March 2012 issue), which also gave it a rave review.

Following the concert, there will be a reception and an opportunity to meet the musicians. Tickets for each individual concert are available for online purchase or at the door and are priced at $20 each with $10 tickets available for students with ID.

Source: http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2013/jan/...

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