American Pianist Ben Kim has won the Rheingau Music Festival (RMF) LOTTO Career Development Award. The prize, given annually since 2009, is intended to support young festival participants to become international musicians.
In the citation, RMF praised Kim’s “brilliant technique”, “interpretive subtleties” and “sympathetic charisma”. The citation also referred to his modest personality and humble nature, stating it is unusual to find such traits in a leading musician.
The jury included Christoph Eschenbach, Michael Herrmann and Heinz-Georg Sundermann as well as RMF programmers. Kim will receive the €15,000 prize during his appearance at the festival on 4 July.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Kim studied at the Peabody Conservatory, Berlin University of the Arts and the International Piano Academy Lake Como. He has previously won first prize at the ARD Music Competition in 2006, and has since performed with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic and St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra.