St James' International Organ Festival: Sarah Kim

As we see the vision to give Sydney a fabulous new organ become a reality, St James' King Street are proud to launch the St James' International Organ Festival. As the first of its kind, it aims to bring internationally renowned organists to our doorstep, while showcasing the might and versatility of our new Dobson organ.

Born in Germany, Sarah Kim is an Australian organist of Korean origin, who is now based in Paris. She began her musical studies (piano and violin) at an early age in Cologne and had her first organ lessons with Miriam Gaydon at the age of eleven in Sydney. After finishing high school, she studied organ with Philip Swanton at the Sydney Conservatorium Music, where she graduated from a Bachelor of Music Performance course with First Class Honours and the Sydney University Medal. During her student days at the Conservatorium, Sarah held several organ scholar positions at the University of Sydney, St Paul’s College and St James’ King Street.

She performed with numerous ensembles including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Sydney Chamber Choir. As a soloist she performed in major concert venues including the Sydney, Perth and Melbourne Town Halls and the Sydney Opera House. On completion of her studies, Sarah was awarded a University of Sydney overseas travelling scholarship and became the first Australian organist ever to be accepted into the ‘Cycle de Perfectionnement’ and Master course at the Paris Conservatoire, where she studied under the tutelage of Oliver Latry and Michel Bouvard.