Meet Helen Hwaya Kim | Concert Violinist /Full Professor of Violin at KSU

We had the good fortune of connecting with Helen Hwaya Kim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Helen Hwaya, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
I think the single most important thing as a parent is for my children to see me constantly try to improve my art form through daily dedicated practice . They can witness the dedication and self discipline that my process requires and apply it to their endeavors

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a concert violinist My journey with the violin begins up north in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. When I was a little girl about four years old, I was watching Sesame Street, and heard the most magical sound coming out of the tv. On the TV, was a man seated playing the violin and the sound was so beautiful. The violinist was Itzhak Perlman.

I started crayoning pictures obsessively, and my parents who have not seen the show with me were rather concerned because they couldn’t tell what these drawings were. They could discern that it was a man with curly hair holding something. When they asked me about it, they were relieved to find out that it was a violinist, and I asked him if I could learn to do that!

I was very lucky because they said yes, my parents did not have a lot of extra money for luxuries because they had just immigrated from Korea and were working very hard to start a new life and help those that they had left behind. I am grateful to this day!

After starting at five, I excelled quickly, and debuted as a soloist with orchestra at age 6, my journey continued further when I was 13, a recording of mine was sent to New York City, and the famed violin teacher at The Juilliard School, Dorothy DeLay who was Itzhak Perlman’s teacher invited me to study at Juilliard school!

I moved from Calgary to New York City when I was 14 to study at Juilliard and my musical career really took off after that.

On a really fun note, after one of my lessons at The Juilliard School, my teacher took me over to Lincoln Center to meet my idol, Itzhak Perlman, it was a dream come true!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have to say because I did not waver in my love for playing the violin, that it was a smooth journey in that sense.

However, the life of a classical musician is one that will always contain struggle. On a daily basis, I need to practice consistently to maintain my skill, and to improve. This type of daily activity can be a struggle in that you have to consistently motivate yourself.

And, because music is subjective, everyone will have an opinion of what they think is beautiful. A performer cannot take to heart the opinions of others but needs to trust in their own ideal what is meaningful to themselves.

I am a concert violinist, and also a professor at violin at Kennesaw State University. I am most proud to be a teacher, I feel very fortunate to have performed all around the world, and to be able to share these skills and knowledge that I have learned along the way to the next generation of young artists. I am very fortunate that I am a very active performer in all genres, solo, chamber music orchestral. Locally, I’m a violinist with the Atlanta chamber players, the guest violinist with the Georgian chamber players and with the Emory chamber music Society.

I am a founding member of the Summit Trio in residence at Kennesaw State University.

I also perform with the Atlanta Opera as their assistant concertmaster and frequently play with the Atlanta symphony orchestra of which I was a member of for three years.

I have also recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Faith Hill, Ludacris and many other artists.

I know that my training at The Juilliard School music and all my performances around the world with many different types of collaborating artists represent the artist that I am today. I am constantly wanting to improve and learn from others around me, and feel thankful to be in such a thriving city such as Atlanta. I am surrounded by fantastic musicians and colleagues!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Highlights to hit !

Piedmont Park
Beltline⭐️⭐️
North GA mountains – hike the beginning of the Appalachian Trail

Stone Mountain
Kennesaw Mountain
Atlanta Braves Game
Atlanta Symphony Concert
Atlanta Opera
Dimsum
Korean bbq
King center

I Love the diversity and harmony of Atlanta 🙏

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My deceased violin teacher – the legendary Dorothy Delay with whom I studied with at the Juilliard School in NYC⭐️

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