B.M., M.M., Chonnam National University; M.M., Artist Diploma, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; D.M.A., University of Texas at Austin
Pianist Kihwa Kim has enjoyed her career as a collaborative pianist, vocal coach, chamber musician, and recitalist throughout the United States, Italy, France, Hungary, and South Korea.
Her wide range of operatic repertoires, from standard to contemporary, includes her work as a pianist, coach, and assistant conductor with numerous opera companies and music festivals including the Arizona Opera, Lyric Arts France (France), Opera in the Ozarks, Opera NEO, the Hungarian State Opera (a Co- production with Opera NEO), the Dayton Opera, First Coast Opera, Austin Opera, Chonnam National University (Gwangju, South Korea), and Mantova National Music (Italy) among others.
In 2021, Dr. Kim served on the faculty of Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA. In addition, she has held the position of staff pianist at Northern Kentucky University from 2014 to 2016 and served as an Orchestra Pianist at the City of Mokpo Symphony Orchestra in Mokpo, South Korea, from 2007 to 2009.
Kim holds a Doctor of Music Arts (DMA) in Collaborative Piano from the University of Texas at Austin, an Artist Diploma (AD) in Opera Coaching and a Master of Music (MM) in Collaborative piano from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She was awarded the ‘President’s Merit Award’ as the top graduate for her Bachelor of Music degree (BM) in Piano Performance from Chonnam National University (Gwangju, South Korea) where she also received a Master of Music (MM) in Piano Performance.
She is an alumnus of the Music Academy of the West, where she received the Vocal Piano Fellowship Award in 2017 and 2018.