We are delighted to welcome Dr Hyelim Kim, a distinguished Korean composer and taegŭm (traditional Korean bamboo flute) soloist, to Studio 88. Her participation is generously supported by the Arts Council Korea (ARKO), which supports Korean artists and producers to participate in globally renowned residency programs. Dr Kim is a recipient of ARKO’s International Artist-in-Residency Programme and will undertake her residency at Studio 88 in July and August 2025. We deeply appreciate ARKO’s trust in supporting her creative journey with us.
Dr Hyelim Kim is internationally recognised for her pioneering work that blends Korean traditional music with intercultural and interdisciplinary practices. A virtuoso taegŭm player, she has performed at major festivals and venues including the London Jazz Festival, Shubbak Festival, and with the Orchestre de chambre de Paris at Théâtre du Châtelet. She has been featured on BBC Radio 3’s Late Junction alongside Nils Frahm and Ghostpoet and is a core member of the Third Orchestra (Barbican Centre). Among her many accolades are the Gold Medal at the Korean National Taegŭm Competition and 1st prize at the Korean National Chongro Music Competition.
As both a performer and composer, Dr Kim continues to explore new ways to connect music with space, culture, and people. Her practice includes electroacoustic composition, video art, and site-responsive works.
Dr Kim’s creative vision is rooted in communication — across cultures, roles, and communities. “I am creating works in which diversity coexists,” she says, challenging dominant musical traditions and hierarchies. Her work often blurs the line between composer and performer, believing that “musical practice is a reflection of a small society.”
She sees music as a powerful social tool, capable of expressing identity, storytelling, and healing. Whether in collaboration with communities or nature, her compositions are shaped by context. “When music is performed in a hospital, it becomes therapy,” she explains. “When played with children, it becomes a toy.”
Her audiovisual works include DanSang – The City, a film of live improvised flute performance interacting with the urban landscape of London, and Pungryu, which beautifully captures the peaceful essence of Korean chamber music traditions. Her electroacoustic piece Pochagi explores the Korean concept of patchwork through sound, while Incomplete Sky, composed by Bushra El-Turk and premiered with Dr Kim as soloist, was inspired by the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish and their intercultural dialogue.
Her short film series Dansang, supported by PRS Foundation (UK), won the Best Music Award at the Experimental, Dance & Music Film Festival in Los Angeles. Many of her projects are documented in her academic monograph Tradition and Creativity in Korean Taegŭm Flute Performance (Routledge, 2021).
During her time at Studio 88, Dr Kim plans to create a new body of work inspired by the natural environment and cultural landscape of Thailand. Drawing from her knowledge of Korean traditional notation (jeongganbo), she is eager to learn about Thai music notation and explore how different systems shape the way music is created, heard, and shared.
“I want to expose performers to the cultural and cognitive aspects of music making,” she says, aiming to expand beyond conventional Western notation and offer inclusive ways of collaboration. Her residency will include working with local musicians and possibly engaging with the community, developing compositions that live beyond the concert hall and reflect their surroundings.
By weaving together musical practice, cultural research, and social dialogue, Dr Kim’s time at Studio 88 promises to offer a deeply resonant experience — for the artist, for our community, and for all who listen.
More about Dr Hyelim Kim.
The Arts Council Korea (ARKO) is a national organization established in 1973 to support and promote the arts and culture in South Korea. it’s International Artist-in-Residency supports Korean artists and producers to participate in globally renowned residency programs. More about ARKO.
Studio 88 is accepting applications on an on-going basis. Check out our residency program and apply now.
Studio 88 Artist Residency 