Jodie Kim
Piano

Jodie Kim had her first national piano competition at the age of 6 playing Clementi and Mozart Sonatas in her native country, S. Korea. After winning the first prize, she went on playing for several other competitions and gave her first solo recital at 10 playing Bach, Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Chopin. At the age of 17, she won the Young Musicians Festival competition which was given by KBS orchestra, the biggest national orchestra in the country, and had a privilege of performing Rachmaninoff piano concerto No.3 as a soloist and the performance was broadcast on a national television.

After she moved to the United States at 17, she continued her piano studies at New York University under Dr. Fabio Gardenal and at Manhattan School of Music with a full scholarship under Dr. Solomon Mikowsky, one of the most sought-after professors worldwide.

While focusing on her piano studies, she also took great interest in chamber music and accompanying as she was one of the most frequently requested accompanists for the school's opera seminar series. She has performed in many historical recital halls including Steinway Hall and Merkin Hall for her solo and chamber recitals in New York City.

Her biggest passion is with teaching, and she has taught more than 500 students at various schools and kindergartens throughout NJ and NY for the past 12 years. Her lessons are integrated with sight-reading, theory, singing, listening and developing techniques. She enjoys working with students of all ages and her lesson plans are customized to individual students' age and genre preference.

With young students between the ages of 4 and 10, she believes that the element of fun should come first and foremost while building a solid foundation of techniques and musicality. And her creativity and love for children has helped her young students develop a genuine interest in music which is the most important key leading to successful piano studies. As a former kindergarten music teacher, teaching young students is one of her specialties and throughout the years, she has been rewarded with many of her students performing at various recitals and local competitions.

She feels truly blessed to be able to introduce her students to the wondrous world of music and help them appreciate the tremendous joy that music can bring to their lives.