More than likely, you’ve had at least one teacher who helped shape the person you are today. Perhaps they exposed you to ideas that challenged you to think in a new way. Maybe they saw potential in you before you saw it in yourself. The best teachers instill skills and a joy of learning that enable students to create and grow for years to come.
Nam Yun Kim was one of those teachers. She spent nearly 40 years shaping the world of classical music. Many knew Kim as the “Godmother of Korean Violin.” She was a brilliant soloist who performed all over the world. But her favorite home was in the classroom.
In 2014, after almost four decades of teaching in South Korea, her students honored her with a retirement concert. Just when she thought she was giving her final bow, something unexpected happened: a bonus performance that would leave her and the audience in joyful tears.
A stage filled with love and music
Kim was about to leave the stage when about 100 previous and current violin students revealed themselves. They joined the full orchestra for one final, celebratory moment in honor of their mentor.
Teens stood shoulder to shoulder with accomplished international professionals. The common link: they all had Kim as their teacher and had benefited from her tough lessons and kind encouragement.
When the music swelled, Frank Sinatra’s iconic anthem, “My Way,” filled the concert hall. It was a tribute built from decades of collective passion, patience, and rigorous dedication. Kim’s appreciative and tearful reaction says the rest. Her life’s work was playing all around her.
Why ‘My Way’ fit so well
Sinatra’s song looks back on a life lived on your own terms. Kim chose to pour herself into generations of violin students in her own, unique way and accumulated decades of devoted students who blossomed from her teachings.
Born in Seoul in 1949, Kim studied violin at Juilliard. In 1974, Kim won first prize at the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition. She went on to play at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House.
Instead of continuing to tour the world as an international star, Kim returned home to South Korea in 1977 and started teaching. She gave masterclasses at Yale and the Beijing Conservatory. Over the decades, she judged top competitions, and her students rose to the top of the violin world. Some of the acclaimed performers who studied under her include Chee-Yun Kim and Yura Lee. For her artistic efforts, Kim received the Nan-Pa Music Award and the Ok-Kwan Medal from the Korean government.
Tears of joy for a legendary mentor
Most teachers plant seeds they may never see bloom. Kim got to witness hers flourish all at once in one unforgettable moment. The footage of the surprise serenade at her retirement concert still moves people to tears today. She spent nearly 40 years helping others develop their musical talents and got to hear the results of her students’ work during the tribute. Kim passed away in 2023 at the age of 74.
