Guitarist Jiyeon Kim Performs for Students at the Opelika High School

The morning before we taped Show #227 in Opelika, AL, From the Top’s Education Team traveled to Opelika High School with performer and guitarist Jiyeon Kim. They visited a classroom of 25 beginner guitar students studying with guitarist and teacher Patrick Bruce.

Guitarist Jiyeon Kim currently attends the Cleveland Institute of Music and studies with Jason Vieaux. Despite having won top prizes in a number of international competitions, presenting for a classroom students was a first experience for Jiyeon – she believed the event helped to inspire her performance for the radio taping at the Opelika Performing Arts Center later that day.

For the performance, Jiyeon performed several standards from the classical guitar repertoire, including the Paganini Caprice No. 24 (the piece she performed later that evening on the show). Jiyeon discussed the importance of classical guitar performance, and how classical training has grown to inspire a number of genres, including rock and jazz.  She also shared a number of techniques and routines, from the way she shapes her nails to the number of hours she practices daily.

The students all had great questions for Jiyeon towards the end, especially since many had never seen nor heard a classical guitarist live. A few even asked for her autograph!

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