Eunbi Kim: it feels like a dream

Eunbi Kim, piano
Film by Xuan

Pianist Eunbi Kim’s sonic memoir it feels like a dream features a soundworld of classical music threaded with an indie-pop awareness–– expanded by the hypnotic projected visuals of new media artist Xuan. This immersive multimedia performance explores issues of family and identity, offering listeners the soundspace to meditate on the dreams they carry and pass on. it feels like a dream includes works by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Angélica Negrón, Pauchi Sasaki, and Sophia Jani for piano, pre-recorded voices, and electronics written for and performed by Kim. Developed in part during an artist residency at the Baryshnikov Arts Center where it was premiered. 

About the Artist: Pianist Eunbi Kim creates projects that invite audiences to tap into their unconscious pool of memories, dreams, and desires. Her credits include solo programs at the Kennedy Center, a concert-meditation performance at Lincoln Center, and a TEDx Talk. A winner of the Astral Artists National Competition, she has been noted for her “creative curiosity and fearless experimentation” (New York Public Radio).

Currently booking it feels like a dream as a concert-length multimedia program, Eunbi collaborated with new media artist Xuan to develop a sonic memoir using immersive projections and audio interludes. It was developed in part during an artist residency at Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City where it premiered to a sold-out audience.

Recent highlights include performances of it feels like a dream at National Sawdust in Brooklyn and Crosstown Arts in Memphis, the latter serving as the culmination of her week-long residency with Iris Collective. As part of the residency, Eunbi introduced Deep Listening practices inspired by Pauline Oliveros at local schools and performed lullabies created by families of the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf as part of the Lullaby Project, an initiative with Carnegie Hall.

Kim’s latest album debuted at #2 on Billboard Classical Charts. Titled It Feels Like, the album deals with themes of childhood, family, and memory. It features world premiere recordings of works written for her by Angélica Negrón, Pauchi Sasaki, Sophia Jani, and Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR). Drawing from the album and its themes, she created a 4-night performance and conversation series as an Artist-in-Residence at WNYC/WQXR’s The Greene Space.

Past projects include creating music-theater work Murakami Music: Stories of Loss and Nostalgia inspired by the music and pianist characters featured in works by contemporary Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami. This project was profiled in the documentary, “The World Reads Murakami,” on NHK, Japan’s national public broadcasting.

With a graduate degree from the Manhattan School of Music, Eunbi is co-founder of bespoken, a mentorship program for female-identifying and non-binary musicians. She lives in New York City.

pronunciation guide: ‘eu’ sounds like the oo in “book" and “look” – easy.

Biographies:

• Eunbi Kim (medium bio)

• Eunbi Kim (short bio)

Press:

• Interview/Preview in The Amp

• Preview in Odea

• Feature in Memphis Flyer

• Preview in Gothamist

Outreach offerings:

• Outreach offerings

Gig Alert Choice on WNYC:

Saturn Years (Official Music Video):

Listen to Mother's Hand, Healing Hand (엄마손은 약손):

translations 
Mother's Hand, Healing Hand (엄마손은 약손)
By Pauchi Sasaki

Mom's hand is a medicine hand. 
Mom's hand is a medicine hand. 
Quickly, quickly get better. 
My Eunbi, beautiful Eunbi.

Listen to Saturn Years:

Listen to It Feels Like a Mountain, Chasing Me:

translations 

It Feels Like a Mountain, Chasing Me
By Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)

I,
I'm afraid that...
so strange because I only speak Korean to my parents.
My dad was 
one of his jobs he was 
he was 
you know, was
And then she's never talked to her brother since
And then she's never talked to her brother since
I don't know why he did that,
but he did come to my first birthday
and she got very upset.
So she, she told him to leave.
I don't think my father even knows.
He just knows that because
Then he's the one who told me only a few years ago,
and my mom has never talked about it.
In my first birthday party pictures
she doesn't look very happy and I think it's because
like, both of them are
like we would celebrate Christmas
and I would get Christmas gifts so that 
next day at school I could say, I got this and that,
and the other kids got really like
piano lessons, very big birthday party 
so they would save a lot,
they would save money throughout the year
so that I would get, I would have a big birthday party.
They didn't do anything for themselves.
So I had a really happy childhood because of them.
I would like a girl
Maybe no I don't.
I sometimes do not want to have.
Well, 
I guess
and Sung-Eun, 
Korean and English. 
So strange because
I only speak Korean to my parents.

Mom and dad really
loved mom very much

and they really
worked very hard and
with nothing for themselves, mom
and my dad and I were so close 
because he was such a gentle person
so it really broke my heart that he did that. 

They didn't have much money 
even though really
they really didn't have
and they worked extremely hard to give me a good life.