You may have heard us playing Cornhusk by Suwon Yim on a recent Rising Stars show here on Phoenix FM – but who is she? We caught up with her to find out more about her life and music.

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a jazz pianist and composer residing in Seoul, South Korea.

This is a demanding discipline – tell us about your studies to reach the level you are at now?

I earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Berklee College of Music ’21 with a full scholarship (B.M & M.M) and learned with masters such as Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Terri Lyne Carrington, and others.

What happened when your studies were over?

After my studies, I released several albums which got featured in the Korean Magazine ‘Jazz People’, ‘MMJAZZ’, and toured around Europe with Ray Brown Jr. Quartet building up numerous stage experiences and Jazz repertoire. Moreover, in 2022, I got invited to Gutenberg Jazz Collective (Jazz Campus Mainz) in Germany as the top finalist.

What is your attitude towards making music?

I believe that music comes from nature. when I first started making music, my initial content of composition came from nature and life. One of my musical goals is to find the unknown treasures in mother nature.

Who are your influences?

Since I grew up listening to Brad Mehldau, Gerald Clayton, Charlie Haden, and many others, I got inspired by them and influenced my music. All my compositions infuse emotions and stories of my life.

Have you been busy recording and do you have any future plans?

I have several jazz albums composed by myself and I will make my new jazz album in Toronto, Berlin with great artists in the fall.

Where can we find out more about you?

I have a website at www.suwonmusic.com and you can also find me on Instagram @suwon_yim.