Concert - Hyein Kim (Cello) & Katherine Austin (Piano)

Hyein Kim, a young exceptionally talented NZ resident cellist will be accompanied by acclaimed pianist Katherine Austin in a set of duets that are certain to please their audience.

Hyein Kim
Hyein Kim was born in 1999 in Seoul, South Korea and moved to Christchurch in 2007. Hyein started his musical adventure at the age of 6 with lessons on the piano. At 8 he switched to studying the cello and he was given a scholarship to study at the Pettman Junior Academy with Edith Salzmann for 8 years. He has since moved to Hamilton in 2016 where he continued his studies with James Tennant and was accepted into the Soloist Stream Specialization programme at the University of Waikato for 2017 - 2019. In 2023, Hyein was accepted to study in the soloist programme at Korea National University of Arts.

Hyein has had many successes in competitions including being the youngest semi-finalist of the NZ National Concerto Competition at the age of 11. At 13 he was awarded 1 st prize at the International Padova Competition in Italy and performed Saint-Saens Cello Concerto with the Padova Symphony Orchestra as a finalist. These results led to Hyein being invited back, and performing numerous concerts around Italy.

In 2017, Hyein had a very successful year, winning the New Zealand Secondary Chamber Music Competition wth his Yerevan Trio from Hillcrest High School, he was awarded the Most Promising Cellist prize at the inaugural Wallace International Cello competition as well as being selected as 2nd prize in the 50th National Concerto Competition and received a wonderful opportunity to play with the NZSO.

After that, he was awarded 2nd prize in PACANZ in 2018 and in 2020, he has been awarded 1st prize in the Gisborne International Music Competition and 2nd prize in 2021 National Concerto Competition. Recently, Hyein was awarded 1st prize in the Michael Hill National String Competition.

Katherine Austin
Head of Piano Studies at the University of Waikato for 20 years, and now teaching at both the Universities of Auckland and Waikato, New Zealand pianist Katherine Austin performs regularly around NZ and overseas, touring frequently for Chamber Music New Zealand, and broadcasting regularly on Radio New Zealand Concert. 

Austin graduated Master of Music with First Class Honours in Piano Performance from Auckland University, where her teachers were Janetta McStay and Bryan Sayer. In 1982 she won both the NZ Young Performer of the Year (PACANZ) and the TVNZ/NZSO New Zealand Young Musician of the Year, playing Schumann’s Piano Concerto with the NZSO. Seven years of study and performance in London and Europe followed, included a full scholarship to the Royal College of Music London, to study with renowned Russian pianist and teacher Irina Zaritskaya, as well as postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 1987, Austin won the Top Duo Prize in the Stresa International Chamber Music Competition in Italy, performing with cellist Vincenzo Giuliani.

Austin has performed Romantic piano concerto repertoire with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and has been a guest on a number of occasions as concerto soloist with the Auckland Chamber Orchestra and Opus Orchestra, specialising in the concertos of Mozart and Beethoven. For 15 years she has been the coordinator behind the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts’ successful ongoing concert series at the University of Waikato and the producer for the numerous University of Waikato Conservatorium of Music concerts in the central North Island, New Zealand.