NSOI: Sunwook Kim plays Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Sunwook Kim piano/conductor
Ava Dodd soprano

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 
Mahler Symphony No. 4  

Experience a night of musical brilliance and lyricism with South Korean pianist Sunwook Kim. Since winning the Leeds International Piano Competition some 20 years ago, Sunwook Kim has excelled as one of today’s finest pianists and conductors appearing with some of the world’s leading orchestras from the Berliner Philharmoniker to Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden to Chicago Symphony. 

For this concert he joins National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, as conductor and soloist, to perform Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto, marking Beethoven’s 200th anniversary at the National Concert Hall. Regarded as one of Beethoven’s more ‘elusive’ piano concertos, it is celebrated for its revolutionary opening, where the piano begins alone before the orchestra en-ters, marking a turning point toward a more intimate, expressive concerto style. Audiences can expect lyrical, poetic piano writing, dramatic dialogue with the orchestra, and a radiant, joyful finale that showcases both brilliant virtuosity and introspection. 

Sunwook Kim conducts Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, a radiant and uplifting work culminating in its ethereal final song, performed by Irish soprano Ava Dodd, named among Classic FM’s 2025 Rising Stars:30 Musicians Under 30, and praised for her “golden voice of striking purity.”

Two composers at their most expressive, offering an unforgettable evening of music, directed by and featuring the acclaimed Sunwook Kim. 

Presented by NCH