Choral Conductor Kim Bobin Wins German Choral Conducting Competition

Kim Bobin, a 33-year-old alumna of the School of Music, won first prize at the 7th German Choral Conducting Competition. She was also awarded the Audience Award, chosen by audience vote.

Held in Berlin from October 5 to 10, the competition culminated in its final round on October 10 (local time), where Kim conducted the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin at St. Elisabeth Church.

Kim received a total of 5,500 euros in prize money – 5,000 euros for first prize and 500 euros for the Audience Award – along with a 300-euro sheet music voucher from Bärenreiter Publishers.

The winner is also offered opportunities to conduct leading professional German choirs, including the RIAS Kammerchor, the SWR Vokalensemble, and the broadcast choirs of West German Broadcasting (WDR) and Central German Broadcasting (MDR). Kim is the second Korean winner of the competition, following conductor Kwon Hyunju, who won its fifth edition in 2022.

After graduating from the School of Music, Kim earned a master’s degree with top honors from the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts and completed the Advanced Performance Program in choral conducting at the Saarbrücken University of Music. She also studied orchestral conducting in Frankfurt.

In 2023, she won first prize at the 2nd International Choral Conducting Competition and has been a scholarship recipient of Forum Dirigieren. Since the 2026/27 season, she has served as Deputy Choir Director of the Bavarian State Opera (Bayerische Staatsoper) in Munich, becoming the first Asian conductor to hold the position.

The biennial competition is co-organized by Forum Dirigieren and the RIAS Kammerchor Berlin to nurture emerging conductors. Participants work with professional choirs as part of the evaluation process.

In a phone interview on October 14, Kim expressed her excitement, saying that winning the competition had been a long-held goal since she first went abroad to study. She added that her time working with the RIAS Kammerchor was the most memorable part of the experience.