Sungmi Im

South Korean pianist SUNGMI IM was born into a family of musicians and began piano studies at the age of three under the guidance of her mother. At eight, she made her stage debut with the Daegu Symphony Orchestra. She graduated from Seoul National University and continued her education at Boston University on a scholarship, winning several international competitions along the way. She has performed with great success at numerous international festivals, including the Kusatsu Music Festival and Moon Beach in Japan; chamber music festivals in Seattle, Dallas, and Tucson; the Sitka Music Festival in Alaska; Bargemusic in New York; the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland; and the Great Mountains Festival in South Korea. Critics in Tucson praised her artistry: “Her touch, phrasing, and sense of balance are magical.” Sungmi Im has given solo and chamber recitals in London, Montreal, Dallas, Seoul, and New York, and has appeared as a soloist with major orchestras in South Korea, the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra (Indiana), and the Jupiter Symphony (New York). She has taught piano at Yonsei University in South Korea and is currently Senior Lecturer in Chamber Music at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, USA. She has received the university’s Trustee’s Award for Teaching. Dedicated to her students, she creates opportunities for them to perform at Indiana University’s regional campuses, local hospitals, and retirement communities. Actively engaged in community service, Sungmi Im serves as Artistic Director of the Bloomington branch of Music for Food, organizing concerts that connect a national network with local community groups to address food insecurity.