Preceptor, Parker Quartet
keehyunkim@fas.harvard.edu
Music Building Room A
617-998-5300
A native of Seoul, Korea, cellist Kee-Hyun Kim has been praised for his “assertive style…and vital musical spirit” (Pittsburgh Tribune). He has participated in many prestigious festivals, including the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Kronberg Cello Masterclasses and Festival, the World Cello Congress III, the Aspen Music Festival, and Music Academy of the West, among others.
A winner of numerous competitions both at home and abroad, Kee won top prizes in virtually all of the major competitions in Korea, including the Ehwa, Sae-gae, and Korean Newspaper Competitions, as well as placing second in the Pusan National Competition. He was the recipient of the Landgraf-von-Hessen Prize at the 1999 Kronberg Cello Masterclasses, and won second prize in the Hudson Valley String competition in 2002. As a member of the Parker Quartet, of which he is a founding member, some awards and distinctions include 1st prize at the Bordeaux String Quartet competition, the Cleveland Quartet Award, and 2010’s Grammy Award for “Best Chamber Music Performance.
Mr. Kim started his musical education very early on, starting at the Juilliard pre-college in 1992. Since then, he has attended the preparatory divisions of the Korean National University of the Arts, the New England Conservatory, and the Walnut Hill School. He holds a B.M. from the New England Conservatory, as well as two M.M. from the same institution. He, along with the members of the Parker Quartet, has taught at Harvard University’s music department since fall of 2014.
When not playing the cello, Kee’s other interests include maintaining physical and mental health and well-being, international cuisine, world music, and his cat, Sammy.
Kee plays on an 1844 Giaccomo Rivolta cello made in Milan, as well as a custom-made bow from Benoit Rolland, made in 2007.