Hello and welcome back to HallyuTones – always focused on sound, stage and substance.
While HallyuTones generally focuses on K-Pop artists, we also like to offer a spotlight to other genres and styles of music. Music is an iterative creative art, meaning artists learn from, sample, and build upon the work of other creatives.
Nowhere is this more prominent than in classical music, where professional pianists practice the works of famous composers, add their own sense of style, and perform their music around the globe.
We are very pleased today to welcome pianist Hai-Kyung Suh, a professional pianist from South Korea who has won acclaim on four continents for her signature piano playing style.
From a young age, she demonstrated her musical prowess by winning first prize in a national competition at the age of 8, before winning the Grand Prix of the Ewha/KyungHyang Music Competition when she was 10. Following this, she was honoured with the Korean government’s President’s Medal twice. Her music studies took her to New York, where she trained with Nadia Reisenberg at the Mannes College of Music and with Sascha Gorodnitzki at the Juilliard School, where she earned a D.M.A. degree.
Her career continued to be marked by prestigious musical achievements. She won prizes at both the William Kapell and Gina Bachauer competitions, before receiving the top prize at the Busoni International Piano Competition and the Munich ARD International Piano Competition. Her official U.S. recital debut was the Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.
Alongside this, she has an extensive teaching background both in Korea and the US, helping pianists to build up their skills.
Hai-Kyung Suh continues to tour the world, producing albums of classical music and continuing to develop her craft.
Read on to discover more about her musical journey, her musical inspirations, and her advice for people who want to pursue music professionally.
Interview
Q1. Please introduce yourself to the HallyuTones readers!
Hello HallyuTones readers, I am Hai-Kyung Suh, a concert-pianist.
Q2. You have played piano ever since early childhood – what inspired you to first start playing the piano, and what do you love the most about the piano as an instrument?
I like the sound of the full orchestra coming out of one instrument expressing a lot of human emotions, atmosphere, feelings, and mood.
Q3. Your style has often been described as being rooted in the Russian Romantic tradition. Could you explain the distinctive features of this style of piano playing, and what draws you to this sound?
I’ve always felt comfortable and close to the temperament and emotional frame work of the Russian romantic tradition.
Author’s Note: The Russian Romantic Style is characterised by a massive, orchestral sound, a freedom of emotional expression, and an emphasis on deep vocal lyricism.
Q4. You recently released ‘Sound Painting’, a new CD of music by Debussy, Lowell Liebermann, and Mussorgsky. Could you tell us some more about this album, and the selection process behind the tracks?
My performance of Moussorsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition was loved by my friends for a very long time so I wanted to record. However, I wasn’t satisfied with two recordings. So I brought my own recordings in to destroy so my fans can listen to the third and best recording only, which I was finally satisfied with. It was recorded in New York, Sophia Bulgaria & New York again.
Q5. Throughout your career, you have performed at numerous concerts and event halls. What do you enjoy the most about the art of performance?
I love reaching out to the audience’s heart and soul through the great compositions by true masters.
Q6. As a UK-based site, I was immediately intrigued by your collaborations with the London Philharmonic Orchestra – could you let us know more about how these projects came together and your favourite experiences performing alongside them?
I performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London at Barbican Center.
It was a great joy. The plan was to perform and record all Rachmanov Concerto every year. However, the wrecker company went bankrupt, unfortunately.
I also played with London Philharmonic which was so much fun to play with such a refined, high-level artistic Orchestra.
Q7. You have performed with orchestras within Asia, Europe, and the United States. Is there anything that is distinctive to you about performing in London, or across the UK?
The UK audience is highly sophisticated and willing to listen to broad range of repertoire.
Q8. Your repertoire is diverse, covering everything from Romantic concertos, to Debussy and contemporary Asian composers. How do you decide which projects to pursue next?
Depends on what I am asked to play and my exploring of a wide range of repertoire to which I need to dedicate a lifetime.
Q9. Your career has many notable professional highlights, with one in particular being your critically acclaimed 2016 Mozart recordings with Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. What was this experience like?
It was like watching a Master class watching how to shaping the performance of orchestra.
Q10. Many of our readers may not be familiar with classical music. If you had to choose some artists or pieces to suggest to someone exploring this genre for the first time, what would you recommend and why?
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. It is iconic and so familiar to everyone.
Q11. You are the first woman to record the complete works of both Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff. What drew you to these projects, and what makes this achievement personally impactful for you?
I just recovered from the third stage of breast cancer, so I was no longer afraid of any challenges, including learning and recording the complete piano Concerto of both Tchaikovsky and Rachmanov.
Q12. During difficult moments in your life, how has music helped or supported you?
I had a goal to return to play the piano and perform as a professional concert pianist.
Q13. Alongside your own extensive performance repertoire, you have also taught for many years. What do you enjoy about teaching music, and how has this experience impacted your own performances?
I learned as I taught my students as the compositions inspire me objectively.
Q14. If you had the opportunity to hear any pianist from throughout history perform live, who would you choose?
Liszt, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Clara Schumann.
Q15. Do you have any advice for anyone looking to pursue a career as a pianist or professional instrumentalist?
Think creatively about developing the audience.
Love music and be patient during the ups and downs of an unpredictable career.
Q16. Lastly, do you have any upcoming projects or performances that you would like to promote?
I will be playing Rachmaninoff Rhapsody with Maestro Jaap van Zweden & Seoul Philharmonia Orchestra. I will also be performing on October 3rd 2026 for the inauguration recital at Carnegie Hall celebrating the 50th anniversary year of my orchestral debut.
Thank you so much to Hai-Kyung Suh and to Las Olas Agency for this interview opportunity. I hope that you all enjoyed a different kind of interview to our usual style, and that it inspires you to listen to, and perhaps even learn to play, some classical music in the future!
To support Hai Kyung-Suh please follow the links below:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@grandromantichai-kyungsuh6402
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haikyungsuh/
Las Olas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/las_olas_agency/
Las Olas Website: https://las-olas-agency.com
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