"Voice of the viola" - inaugural concert by Prof Sara Kim
Since 1 April 2025, the internationally renowned violist Sara Kim has been Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the University of the Arts Bremen.
On 9 January 2026, Sara Kim will perform in her inaugural concert as part of the opening of the Viola Festival 2026 "Viola. Finally." / ‘Viola, Finally.’ can be heard. The concert starts at 6 pm in the gallery of the HfK Bremen.
The focus is on the voice of the viola – the voice that, in my opinion, expresses all the deep emotions that are difficult to describe in words. It's not just about joy or sadness – but about nostalgia, loss, insecurity, tears of happiness, the warmth of an embrace. Emotions that are deeply rooted in the heart but are perhaps rarely expressed - precisely because they are so precious.
Original works for viola solo will be performed - including works by Ligeti, Hindemith, Reger and others.
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Sara Kim, born in 1988 in Daejeon (South Korea), completed her musical education at the Gnessin Special School in Moscow and at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin, where she first studied violin and later viola. Sara is also a graduate of the Berlin University of the Arts, where she received top marks in the instrumental soloist programme. Her artistic development was further shaped by studies in the chamber music class of the Artemis Quartet and a master class at the Munich University of Music and Theatre.
Sara Kim has performed as a soloist and chamber musician at the most important festivals, including the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival and the Gstaad Menuhin Festival. She has performed with renowned orchestras such as the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Staatsorchester Braunschweig and the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra. One of the highlights of her career was her performance at Bellevue Palace in 2012, where she played for Federal President Joachim Gauck at the invitation of the German Foundation for Musical Life.
Her extensive orchestral experience includes positions as principal viola in the Braunschweig State Orchestra and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. She has also made guest appearances with top orchestras such as the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the MDR Symphony Orchestra Leipzig. She gained her teaching expertise as a lecturer at the universities of music in Berlin, Munich and Leipzig.
With Sara Kim, the HfK Bremen has gained a top-class musician and teacher who is appreciated worldwide for her energetic and colourful interpretations.
Important information
The HfK is barrier-free to a limited extent at the Dechanatstraße location.
The entire building is fully accessible via two lifts, in the west wing and in the middle wing, from the basement to the 2nd floor. Due to a height offset on the ground floor, the toilet for people with limited mobility can only be reached barrier-free from the entrance via the basement and the 1st floor.
Public disabled parking spaces are designated on the street immediately adjacent to the courtyard entrance. In addition, a disabled parking space can be allocated on the premises by the caretakers and the security service. The colleagues can be reached by telephone at +49 421 9595-1400.
