Rachmaninov, Resilience, and Revelation

You´ve done a few competitions before- how was the mental and physical strain for you in Paris?

I’ve competed in several international competitions in the past, and I have developed a mindset to put a boundary between myself and the competitive aspect of the competition. In the end, the most important goal we aim to achieve as pianists is to speak something through the music we play, to communicate a message through sound—which is a huge challenge and a responsibility. Reflecting on myself and trying to find my own personal interpretation of the music I play gives me joy and comfort, day by day. In a competition, not having any regrets about one’s performance is of greater importance than a successful result.

“Putting a boundary between yourself and the competitive aspects”- does that mean putting a kind of virtual wall around yourself? 

It’s definitely not a wall. I think, when we play music, we are like actors. We play a certain role in the music, and each kind of music, every composition, has its own distinct character. When I put myself in this role and really engage in that role, I am not trying to show myself—it should be the music that is the star of the performance. 

As someone who often visits concerts, I can feel when the music speaks to me. A performance becomes special not when the performer is telegraphing their interpretation to a large group of people, but when the performer is speaking directly to me, sharing his personal story just to me, through his music.

As for the communicative aspect you mentioned: I think if I put myself in the role of the music, and I succeed at being true to myself, I naturally get to communicate with the audience.

Rachmaninov Concerto No. 3 is quite a special piece. You were the only artist to play it in the final at Long Thibaud, but historically, there are quite a lot of memorable performances in competition finals. What made you choose this piece?

First of all, I love the piece. It’s one of my favourite concertos at the moment. It really encapsulates such a huge palette of emotions one can experience in human life: nostalgia, pain, sorrow, and finally ecstasy. This piece is often considered the epitome of pianism, but it’s really the music that speaks to me and the emotions that can be found anywhere in the piece. 

Of course, it’s not easy to perform concertos in a competition because you have little rehearsal time. But I thought because I have had some experience in playing Rachmaninov III with an orchestra, it would be a good idea to bring it to the Long-Thibaud.
 

Do you like one artist or one particular interpretation of this concerto?

I really like Rachmaninov’s own playing. Also Horowitz’s—there is a recording he made when he was in his late twenties. I think he mentioned himself that it doesn’t really count as a recording, but it’s magical to my ears. Then, of course, there is Horowitz’s late recording with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta. Finally, among the living artists, I really like Arcadi Volodos’s interpretation.

It's a very substantial work, and it is also very challenging physically. Remembering Van Cliburn at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958: he actually had to play two concertos, in addition to a contemporary piece. He played both Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky. It’s a lot of concentration and physical effort you have to put in to master such a performance.

I felt alright in the competition, but until I was announced as the first prize winner, I had no idea that the winner had to repeat the whole concerto in the gala concert the same day. The competition was in the afternoon, followed by the announcement of the results, where they told me that I would be playing Rachmaninov again. I asked “Which movement would you like?” in the hopes that I would only play a movement. The reply was unexpectedly enthusiastic: “The entire thing! Again!” I had to do the whole thing again, plus two solo pieces, because of the special prizes I received. So it was really a lot, but then again; when you are concentrating, when you are really invested and dedicated to the music, a little bit of fatigue is irrelevant, because all that matters at that moment is bringing the piece back to life. Also, it was my eighteenth birthday the very next day; the Rachmaninov performance in the gala concert was a gift I never even dreamed of! The thought of it helped me push through. Of course, I had to pace myself a bit and not use up all my energy right in the beginning. But once I was in control of that, there was not much of a problem.

A lot of great piano competitions are happening this year. Will you be performing at some of them?

I decided to wait for a couple of years and see what happens. It seemed necessary to give myself the time and space to develop as a pianist and grow as a human being. It’s not the right time to compete further at this moment—I am still young.

You currently live in Boston, and you speak English really well. When did you move there?

I moved to the U.S. in August 2021, so I’ve lived there for three and a half years. I study at Harvard, where I am planning to concentrate on English Literature, and at NEC, where I, of course, focus on my music. Harvard is a very special experience; it really broadens your perspective about the world, and it makes you realize that there are things in life that transcend music. There are people who live very different lives than I do, and they often remind me that human life is much greater than music (no matter how great music is). The variety of different paths that students take is really inspiring.

You studied with Soojung Shin in Korea, and now with both HaeSun Paik and Dang Thai Son at NEC in Boston.

Whenever I go to Korea, one of the first things I do is meet Ms. Shin, who is always so kind and supportive! I like to think that she passed on to me her vision, musical taste, and pianistic foundation. My current teachers are wonderful—the best combination of teachers I could hope for. We work very closely, and I really feel that they care about me—not just as a pianist, but more importantly, as a human being and as someone who is still young and growing. I owe everything to all of my teachers.

Which one did you call first after winning in Paris?

I actually don’t remember. It was definitely just one after the other. I received texts from both of them virtually right after the last note I played.

©WFIMC 2025
Photos ©Corentin Schimel

Born in 2007, Saehyun Kim is a South Korean pianist based in Boston, MA. In July 2023, he was awarded the First Prize, the Audience Prize, and the Junior Jury Prize in the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists. Previous major accolades include first prize in the 2022 Morningside Music Bridge International Concerto Competition and the Gold Award in the 2024 National YoungArts; notably, he took second prize and was the youngest finalist at the International Tchaikovsky Online Piano Competition for Young Musicians. Over the past decade, Kim has performed at venues across the U.S., France, South Korea, and Japan, such as Jordan Hall, Salle Cortot, Seoul Arts Center, and Yamaha Hall Ginza, appearing as a soloist with the Canton Symphony, Sendai Philharmonic, Korean Symphony, and more. He is an alum of the Lang Lang Foundation Young Scholars Program and the summer piano festival hosted by the Theo and Petra LIEVEN International Piano Foundation. Kim graduated from Walnut Hill School for the Arts and the NEC Preparatory School, studying with HaeSun Paik. Currently, Kim is enrolled in the Harvard/NEC dual degree program, where he is simultaneously pursuing an A.B. at Harvard College and an M.M. at the New England Conservatory, studying in a joint studio of Dang Thai Son and HaeSun Paik.