Texu Kim

Texu Kim (김택수) is a Korean-born American composer whose music has been described as humorous, sophisticated, and deeply connected to everyday life. Drawing inspiration from the multicultural nature of modern South Korea, he blends folk traditions with contemporary techniques, writing music that is at once playful, colorful, and thought-provoking.

His works have been performed by a wide range of leading ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Philharmonia, San Diego Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Oakland Symphony, New World Symphony, and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, among many others. Internationally, his music has been championed by ensembles such as Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Modern, Alarm Will Sound, AsianArt Ensemble Berlin, and Ensemble Reconsil Vienna. Between 2014 and 2016, he served as Composer-in-Residence with the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, where he also founded the Composers’ Atelier, commissioning and mentoring new orchestral works by Korean composers.

Kim has received honors from the Fromm Music Foundation, Barlow Prize, Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Copland House, and the Isang Yun International Composition Prize, as well as ASCAP/SCI and the Ilshin Composition Prize. His music reflects both intellectual curiosity and humor, qualities mirrored in his unusual distinction as a Silver Medalist at the International Chemistry Olympiad before turning fully to music.

A graduate of Seoul National University and holder of a D.M. in composition from Indiana University, Kim is Associate Professor of Music at San Diego State University and is presented by Summers Artist Services. His music is published by Bill Holab Music.

Birdsong

Birdsong was written to celebrate the friendship of the two performers who premiered this piece: Molly Barth and Inés Voglar Belgique (per their desire). Inés also shared some recordings of bird songs from her trip to Eastern Europe, which ultimately became the title of my work. At today’s concert, only the second and the third movements (out of three movements) will be played.

The second movement explores various gestures resembling birdsongs and forms of dialogue between two friends, from ordered, pleasant chatter to heated, intense quarrels.

The finale is based on my imagination of two friends recalling their fun times together. When writing it, I was also inspired by the stories of my mother and one of her closest friends, who was dying from cancer at that time.