Long, white fingers start to play the electric guitar. A sophisticated violin solo in the first movement of “Spring,” a part of Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” is reinterpreted in electric guitar. The charismatic guitar play creates a wonderful yet romantic melody which harmonizes with the orchestra and overwhelms the audience.


This guitarist has been breaking down a prejudice that “electric guitar is only for rock n’ roll.” He has been expanding his musical career by continuing to make the crossover between rock n’ roll and classical music. His name is Kim Se-hwang, one of the top electric guitarists in Korea. Kim is known not only for fast, technically accomplished hard rock guitar performances, but also for the play of beautiful melodies that can find harmony with majestic classical music.

Kim is one of the best rock n’ roll guitarists in Korea. He often wins “the first to” titles when it comes to his musical achievements. This May, he became the first Asian to receive an “Honorary Doctorate of Music in Performance” from the prestigious Musicians Institute in Hollywood, U.S. In March this year, he became the first Korean guitarist to display his treasured electric guitar as one of the memorabilia items displayed in the flagship Guitar Center store's front windows in the heart of Hollywood. The music store hosts Hollywood's RockWalk, a hall of fame honoring musical artists.

Kim encountered his first guitar when he was a young boy. It came from his mother who was a classical guitarist. During his teenage years, he fell in love with the charms of the electric guitar. In 1993, he produced his first-ever album after forming a rock group named “Down Town.” In 1994, he joined a famous rock group NEXT, an abbreviation for “New EXperiment Team.” The group, led by singer and song writer Shin Hae-chul, enjoyed lasting popularity in Korea with remarkable album sales despite receiving almost no TV coverage. He did undergo hardships, however, by experiencing the nationwide economic crisis of the late 1990s and withdrawal and reforming of rock groups. All these difficulties forged the fundamentals of his music life. In 2011, Kim produced an album titled “Vivaldi Four Seasons” in which he reinterpreted whole pieces of the masterpiece with an electric guitar.



Kim collaborated with numbers of world-renowned musicians. Those artists include not only rock guitarists like Steve Vai but also some internationally famed orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the famous Italian chamber orchestra I Musici. In April this year, he performed with soprano Lee Young-suk at a concert of New Trolls, a legendary group in art rock, during their Korea tour.


Korea.net had an email interview with the guitarist who pioneers his own musical arena by continuing to make challenges.

- How did you first begin your life with the guitar?
The life with the guitar came about naturally, as my mother was a classical guitar player before she got married to my father, who was a Korean diplomat stationed in Washington D.C. from 1974 to 1986. During these years, it was normal for a housewife to give up her career upon marriage and my mother would continue her practice in the house each night. But, she did have yearly opportunities to represent Korean culture at diplomatic parties that would include The Smithsonian. She shared her performance methods and views with me since I was 4 years old and she was fascinated by 70's guitar music such as Santana, Jeff Beck, etc... And would often play their music in the house. It was more like a part of our lives during my childhood.
I feel very lucky to have met great partners to start my career with such steady success, as now all of the past members have become important people in the K-Pop industry.

- It is impressive to see the way you approach classical crossover music. You performed classical music with an electric guitar, and with a vocalist, and you also collaborated with the famous Italian chamber orchestra I Musici to play Vivaldi's “Four Seasons.” What drives you to keep trying a crossover approach and to keep reinterpreting classical music?
I have grown up having the Vivaldi - The Four Seasons being played on and on in our household over many years, as it was probably the most popular classical music for classical musicians in Korea including my mother, back in the 70's. I had memorized all the melodies and I was able to sing it before I was 10 years old and had cherished the masterpiece in my heart since even before entering elementary school. After becoming a professional musician, there was a spot in my heart that would keep telling me to perform the masterpiece with an orchestra someday. That day came when I met HyeWon Jang, who was one of the first generation of classical musicians in Korea who was highly respected and came to The Seoul Art College as the dean of the college, as she had spent most of her life as the dean of the music department at Ehwa Women's University. When I first met her, I had announced my wish to collaborate with classical music and she was extremely helpful, by introducing me to the best performers and orchestras in Korea. After less than a year of concertos with the renowned orchestras, I was able to release the electric guitar version of the Vivaldi -- The Four Seasons album -- recording the album with the prestige members of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. After that, I received the news that the world renowned chamber orchestra from Rome, Italy, the legendary, I Musici, who were the chamber orchestra known to represent Vivaldi -- The Four Seasons -- were willing to perform with an electric guitar player from South Korea, ME! I knew this was like a marriage in music, gave it my all for the tour with them in great honor, & it really was a dream come true.

- Please tell us about the most memorable stage on which you performed.
The most memorable stages would definitely have to be the collaborations with world renowned musicians such as I Musici, Steve Vai, Stuart Hamm, Scott Henderson, Guthrie Govan, Martin Taylor, Akira Jimbo, etc.
As N.EX.T, I was lucky enough to rehearse at the Royal Albert Hall and perform concerts in Korea with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, & record with the London Symphony Orchestra for the album, Lazenka in London.
Also, it has always been my dream to perform at international music conventions such as the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) 2014 Show to represent the brands.

- Concerning music, what has been the happiest moment of your life?
There were so many great moments as a musician in my career. But the happiest moment in my music career would have to be when I was able to perform in front of a mountain filled with an audience in which was the first show after joining N.EX.T in 1994. I was told the estimated number of people for my first stage with N.EX.T was about 10,000 people.
Also, how many people are able to perform with their heroes they admired the most? I was extremely lucky to be able to perform with I Musici, having listened to their performance of Vivaldi - The Four Seasons all my life & Steve Vai, whose poster has always been hung up on my wall during my high school years, who was more than just a musician and a guitar player, but more like a religion. I was extremely lucky.
Also, I was able to fulfill my music dream by recording and working with great producers like Mick Glossop who had spent many years as the audio specialist at BBC, R&D for SSL, inventor of revolutionary audio devices, & Chris Tsangrides who was the producer who had worked on albums with Judas Priest, Ozzy Osborne, etc...
But, probably the biggest fulfillment was this year when I had been inducted into the Rockwalk Walk of Fame, on Sunset BLVD., Hollywood, CA. in Feb. of 2014. My guitar is displayed along with the heroes I grew up listening to.
Also, in May, I have been awarded the 'Honorary Doctorate of Music in Performance' from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. I was told that I am the 5th recipient after Herbie Hancock, Steve Vai, Sheila E., & Alice Cooper. Words are not enough to express my honor and happiness.
I was also extremely happy when I had been offered an endorsement from an American guitar company for the first time ever, Washburn Guitars, back in 1997. It was the first ever endorsement for a guitar player from South Korea from an internationally renowned instrument company from overseas, as Washburn Guitars had produced a limited version of the Washburn P4 Guitar in the color of skyblue, which was used for the album, N.EX.T - Lazenka.
Also, I was extremely happy to have joined the squad of Guthrie Govan, Scott Henderson and Reb Beach to have become a Suhr Guitar artist back in June of 2010 as the company is well known to have an artist roster which is highly respected.

- From where do you get your musical inspiration?
I get my musical inspirations from all of my surroundings. People are affected by their environment and everyday experiences have always been a part of my music all my life whether it would be love, happiness, the hardships, & most of all, family.

- Do you have any role models, if any, and who are they?
There are too many role models for me to list. I could go on all day and all night to come up with some aspect that I have been inspired by from someone for some positive reason. so for mentioning the role models, it would include almost all notable musicians, but the Guitar Gods I have always looked up to all my life were Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Led Zepplin, Deep Purple, AC/DC, Santana, B.B. King, Prince, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Lukather, Def Leppard, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johson, Guthrie Govan, Scott Henderson,, Stuart Hamm, ... see?! The list will never stop. I am still inspired by so many great musicians by the day.

- In your opinion, what makes a person a good guitarist?
For me, someone with a signature sound. Someone with the voice of a guitar that that person is well-known for or a sound in which only that person can do, or had invented and passed along for the first time ever. A good musician is someone who can reach the hearts of the people, sharing their life stories, gathering common bounds to sooth the souls of the many who are torn up inside.
But if we are talking about guitar players, that someone who has a signature sound, whether it is a guitar tone or a special technique, and the technical aspect has always been a part of the expression, and this does not necessarily mean that someone has to be perfect all the time. But the physical technical aspect is surely a very important part of what is added up to become their signature sound overall.

- What do "music" and "guitar" mean to you?
'Music' and 'guitar' have always been a part of my family, how I made friends growing up as a minority in Northern Virginia in the 70's and the 80's, a hobby, a profession, & a way of life in which I was lucky enough to be able to communicate with the vast majority. 'Music' and 'guitar' have always been a part of me, and hope I can become a part of them in return.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer 
arete@korea.kr