Journeys of Discovery:
About This Episode
In this episode of Journeys of Discovery, Michael Hayman sits down with internationally renowned violinist and author, Min Kym. A child prodigy who found her voice through the violin, Min shares the extraordinary story of her deep connection to music – from growing up in a traditional South Korean home to the devastating theft of her beloved Stradivarius.
Min reflects on the pressures of early success, the identity crisis that followed the loss of her violin, and how she ultimately found her way back to music. She and Michael discuss the profound relationship between musician and instrument, the emotional weight of artistry, the reality of perfectionism, and the cathartic process of writing her memoir, Gone: A Girl, a Violin, a Life Unstrung.
Recorded at Cadogan Hall in collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, this is a conversation about music, talent, and what it takes to begin again.
Min Kym, violinist and author
South Korean born and raised in the UK, Min Kym began playing the violin at the age of six. At seven she was accepted as the youngest ever pupil at the Purcell School of Music; at 16 she was the youngest ever foundation scholar at the Royal College of Music. The legendary conductor George Solti said she had ‘exceptional natural talent, mature musicality and mastery of the violin’. In 2010 she recorded the Brahms Violin Concerto with Sir Andrew Davis and the Philharmonia Orchestra. She was the first ever recipient of the Heifetz Prize, and is a goodwill ambassador for the city of Seoul.
In April 2017 Penguin Random House publishes her memoir, Gone: A Girl, A Violin, A Life Unstrung, exploring the trauma and grief Kym experienced when her violin – a priceless 1696 Stradivarius – was stolen from her. The Warner Classics companion album to the book includes her student recordings as well as professional recordings made at Abbey Road with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Sir Andrew Davis with the instrument that was later stolen.