School
Academic Programs
Biography
In June 2022, Korean-American soprano Joanna Hyunji Kim, D.M.A., held her debut recital at Carnegie Hall, concluding with a well-deserved standing ovation. New York Concert Review commended her performance, highlighting her rich and powerful voice, impeccable musicianship, and sensitive yet intense interpretation of her text.
Kim has performed internationally with orchestras and concert pianos, including in the United States, South Korea and numerous European countries, such as Italy, Germany, France, the Czech Republic and Graz, Austria.
Born in the United States but raised in South Korea, Kim holds a deep appreciation for both cultures and aspires to advocate for Korean art songs in the United States. Her doctoral lecture-recital on Korean diction and art song was nominated for the Lecture Recital Prize at the Eastman School of Music in 2018. She subsequently presented another lecture-recital on a similar topic at the Harvard Graduate Music Forum Conference in February 2020 and at Robert Wesleyan University in October 2023.
Kim continues to showcase Korean art song as an active performer in Upstate New York, including at the New York State Fair, and shares the beauty of this art form with the audience. She believes that each culture possesses its unique characteristics while also sharing commonalities due to the shared experience of emotions. Identifying the core emotion of a song, interpreting the text through her lens, communicating with the audience and serving as a bridge between diverse cultures are her primary objectives when preparing for a performance.
As an ardent educator, Kim dedicates her passion to teaching vocal music to individuals of diverse backgrounds and musical proficiency. She instructed secondary voice students at Eastman and the University of Rochester as a selected master’s student and throughout her doctoral studies. Notably, she was recognized with the Teaching Assistant Prize for Excellence in Teaching in May 2019, commensurate with her ability to accurately assess and subsequently provide technical guidance that enables each student to achieve their full potential. While accommodating individual needs, Kim’s primary objective is to cultivate sound vocal technique and foster critical thinking as students explore their true vocal capabilities, encompassing both classical and musical theater genres.
In 2021, Kim established Senoreh Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the biblical perspective through artistic excellence in the field of music. Since 2025, Senoreh Inc. launched Camp GraceNote, a summer music camp specifically designed for third to sixth graders. This camp offers an immersive learning environment that fosters an understanding of diverse cultural musical traditions.
Kim holds a bachelor of music degree from Ewha Woman’s University, where she graduated magna cum laude. Under the guidance of Robert McIver, she earned a master of music with dual degrees in voice performance and music education from the Eastman School of Music. In 2020, Kim concluded a doctor of musical arts degree in voice performance and literature at Eastman, where she was mentored by Jonathan Retzlaff.
Education
- D.M.A., M.M., Eastman School of Music
- B.M., Ewha Woman’s University