It was a broken ankle that pushed a young Chloe Kim to focus her energy on her violin practice, which landed her a seat at Juilliard a few years late
Although she thinks she always knew violin was the path she鈥檇 take, Kim鈥檚 childhood was busy with figure skating, swimming and piano lessons, and she tried to give them all her full concentration.
When she broke her ankle when she was about 11, it forced her to set priorities.
鈥淭hat was really a crossroads where I聽had to choose,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f I injured myself seriously, I wasn鈥檛 going to be able to pursue an instrument.鈥�
The University of Victoria graduate returns to the West Coast for a performance of pieces by J.S. Bach and his mentor Dieterich Buxtehude on聽Saturday at Christ Church Cathedral.
The upcoming performance has been a labour of love for the 23-year-old violinist, who put together the entire show. She picked the music, selected the musicians and determined fair compensation, organized rehearsal schedules and created programs.
鈥淣ormally I just sign a contract and show up,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he project is special to me because I spearheaded it.鈥�
Although Kim has been performing professionally since she was 17 鈥� her first paid gig was Les Miserables in Victoria 鈥� creating her own show is a first for the musician.
It鈥檚 something she hopes to do more of in the future.
Kim flew to the Island from Paris, where she works a lot these days when she鈥檚 not in the practice rooms at the Juilliard School. She鈥檚 in her final year of a two-year master鈥檚 degree in historical performance at the prestigious performing arts conservatory in New York City. The program specializes in music composed before the 18th century.
One of Kim鈥檚 former violin teachers describes her as dedicated, focused and full of intensity. Heilwig von Koenigsloew taught Kim for several years before she moved to Victoria from the Lower Mainland to study music performance.
Koenigsloew could tell early on that Kim had the talent to play professionally.
鈥淪he is special. I鈥檓 certainly proud of what she鈥檚 accomplished,鈥� said von Koenigsloew, who once told Kim she should choose to be a musician only if it鈥檚 something she can鈥檛 live without.
鈥淎nd I totally subscribe to that,鈥� Kim says. 鈥淚 do it because it makes me feel good.鈥�
She travels a lot for work, performing most often in San Francisco, New York, 91原创 and Paris, and sometimes has to remind herself of this choice when she鈥檚 away from home for long stretches.
鈥淟et鈥檚 just say I never unpack my suitcase fully,鈥� Kim says.
Kim performs with an early 19th-century violin lent to her by von Koenigsloew. It鈥檚 the instrument she played for her Juilliard audition. She calls it her 鈥淔rankenstein instrument,鈥� because it鈥檚 had so much work done, but says it has never let her down.
Kim graduates from Juilliard in May. She鈥檚 not sure where she鈥檒l end up after that, but wherever she goes, it鈥檒l be with a violin in hand.
