Soovin Kim goes the distance with BPO

 Reviewed by David L. Schriber

American violinist Soovin Kim was featured soloist as the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra performed Antonín Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A-minor, op. 53 on Saturday, April 2, at Binghamton University’s Anderson Center. It was a convincing demonstration of endurance in a composition uncharacteristically demanding of both bowing and fingering for long periods of time throughout its 32 minutes. One might expect it to be difficult toward the end of such a high-energy piece to play with a light and lilting touch, but that’s just what Kim delivered. Throughout the entire concerto, soloist and orchestra were well integrated, the solo violin seeming to rise smoothly out of the ensemble, the orchestra deferring to the virtuoso’s cadenza passages, then just as smoothly ramping up again. The performance was met with an enthusiastic standing ovation from the full house.