[ON STAGE]He's got the keys to their hearts

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[ON STAGE]He's got the keys to their hearts

If you look at the covers of albums made by local classical musicians, or see images of the recording artists in the media, you'll notice that they are almost always depicted in a glamorous way. The pianist Kim Dae-jin is one such subject. Anytime you see him, he is invariably dazzled up.

Over the past few years that portrayal of Kim has been effective in selling albums to female fans and attracting them to his concerts. Since he came back to Korea from New York in 1994, Kim has become a local favorite. His recitals have become big events, and the people who attend them are mostly real fans of the pianist; that contrasts with big concerts by other classical musicians, which are often just excuses for a VIP soiree.

On Friday, Kim will stage a solo recital, "Nocturne Story." The show is something of a prelude to his series of monthly performances at the Seoul Arts Center, which will start in July.

Kim made his performing debut at age 11 with the National Symphony Orchestra. He rose to fame in 1986 after graduating from the Juilliard School and beginning to play New York. He got favorable reviews from local critics, who described him as having "all the qualities necessary for a successful solo career."

In 1987 he was invited to perform with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. Since then he has performed with noted conductors such as Jose Serebrier, Bruce Ferden, Kenneth Schermerhorn, Jahja Ling, Othmar Maga, Yoshikazu Tanaka and Jean-Claude Casadesus.

The main program of Friday's concert will be based on Kim's latest album, "John Field: Complete Nocturnes," which came out last September. Other selections will include nocturnes by Chopin, which are perfectly suited for Kim to show his expertise with the keys. Also on the program are Rachmaninoff's Opus 23, No. 5 in G minor, Francis Poulenc's "No. 1 Sans Trainer" and Debussy's "Andante Tres Expressif From Suite Bergamasque."

In consideration of the romantic nature of the selections for Friday's recital, Kim will flavor the night with wine and roses. The performance will begin at 10 p.m., after a special wine-tasting session for the audience, and roses will also be given to everybody in attendance.





For more information, call 02-751-9606. Ticket prices start from 20,000 won ($15).


by Park Soo-mee

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