By Xu Aiying
Photos = Lee Jeongwoo
Video = Park Dae Jin

Celebrated violinist Clara-Jumi Kang and pianist Kim Sunwook from May 19-30 will perform as a duo in an 11-city national tour.

The pair will also perform in August at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, following shows in Berlin last year and Los Angeles in January this year. Their program features masterpieces of violin sonatas ranging from those from the Classical period by Beethoven and Strauss to the 20th century.

Kang on May 7 spoke at a news conference at the studio of Credia Classic Club in Seoul's Jongno-gu District.

"I've performed this program several times abroad but really wanted to share it with Korean audiences," she said. "Chemistry with the pianist is crucial for these pieces, so I look even more forward to performing with Sunwook Kim."

Born in Germany, Kang first drew global attention by placing first at the 2010 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis in Indiana and fourth at the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition of Russia. She has since performed regularly mainly in Europe and is also resident artist of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra of Sweden for the 2025-26 season.

Pianist Kim made history in 2006 as the youngest and first Asian to win the Leeds International Piano Competition of the U.K. Since earning a master's in conducting from the Royal Academy of Music in London, he has performed both as a pianist and conductor.

On her collaboration with Kim, Kang said, "The pianist plays a major role in a violin solo repertoire, and since Sunwook Kim -- who is also a conductor -- is a performer with an orchestral sensibility and deep interpretive skills, he is especially well suited for the works of this program."

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang on May 7 answers questions at a news conference held at the studio of Credia Classic Club in Seoul's Jongno-gu District.

In August, Kang will perform on a stage that she has dreamed of most throughout her career. She will play Beethoven's Violin Concerto with renowned conductor Daniel Barenboim at the Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany.

The performance will come 27 years after her collaboration was canceled at the festival due to a finger injury she sustained while playing sports as a teen.

"It's a great honor to collaborate with these great masters in their 90s in the final chapters of their lives, and I think these few years will be the moments I miss most when I reach my 60s," she said.

On how she has remained at the top of her game, Kang said, "People might think that confidence and stability naturally come with age, but being a soloist means never growing complacent; it's a profession in which every single performance is evaluated."

"Especially after experiencing competitions firsthand, I realized that it wasn't even the beginning and that I still have a long way to go."

Kang also commented on if she is in her musical prime as she will turn 39 next month.

"I might be in my prime physically but I hope that my true prime comes in my 50s to 60s," she said. "I want to stand on stage until my 70s and my goal is to steadily build up my repertoire for a long time."

Violinist Clara-Jumi Kang on May 7 poses for a photo at a news conference held at the studio of Credia Classic Club in Seoul's Jongno-gu District.