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Drawing Out 03:38
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Passing By 01:34
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Paloma E' 04:44
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Quick Flight 00:52
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about

NYC-based violinist and composer Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim is a curious mind in the experimental music scene. As co-founder of the improvisation-focused ensembles Muzosynth Orchestra and Impromptuo, the South Korean immigrant trained in European classical music before falling deeply in love with the art of improvisation. Lim’s debut album, Starling, channels some of her particular loves: predilection for geometric patterns, gravitation towards humorous satire, and enjoyment of sound itself (Lim holds a comprehensive musical taste in everything from soul, musical theater to ‘oldies’ and on). Through this trio format with Alfredo Colón (EWI/soprano saxophone) and Kalia Vandever (trombone/fx), the album also channels her deep trust in her friends and community.

Starling showcases an unusual combination of musicians. The trio of violin, trombone with effects, and EWI or soprano saxophone are treated as trifectas of melody-makers, switching between different acoustic and electronic mixtures with each track. Most of the album starts with set, improvised textures. These range from simple acoustic directives, such as playing long tones, to more abstract parameters, such as each artist having to “go against'' each other. In addition, each artist performs one solo as interludes (tracks 4, 6, and 8), highlighting themselves as an individual before recombining into the fabric of the group. The trio leans into the compelling strength of its soaring sounds, which Colón described during recording as feeling “like a flock of starlings murmuring in the sky”.

Starling beckons with its sincerity and bold sentimentality that Lim embraces in all its unfettered glory. It is a statement that causes reflection upon the identity of artists like her, an Asian woman in a field controlled by white men, a field weighted by narrow viewpoints on who Asian women can be. On all levels, Starling demands the right to self-determine, to be the driver of one’s own story, and to say, without apology, who you are.

Album notes by Joey Chang

credits

released June 2, 2023

Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim, violin
Alfredo Colón, EWI/soprano saxophone
Kalia Vandever, trombone/fx

Recorded on July 30th, 2022 at the Jazz Gallery
Engineered by Kengchakaj Kengkarnka
Mixed & mastered by Lee Meadvin
Album artwork by Nikki Pet

From the artist:
I dedicate this album to the three most important people in my life, who taught me to always follow my dreams: my mother Hye Young Kim, my father Jin Hwan Lim, and my grandmother Yeo Ok Kim. I am who I am now because of you.

Thank you to Alfredo Colón, Kengchakaj Kengkarnka, Lee Meadvin, Nikki Pet, and Kalia Vandever for making it happen.

Thank you to Adrienne Baker, Rebecca Benjamin, Hillary Bonhomme, Joy Guidry, Amy Harding, Madeline Hildebrand, Mary Grace Johnson, Isabel Ong, and Susie White for always unconditionally supporting me near and far.

And the biggest thank you to Joey Chang for everything you do on a daily basis.

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Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim New York, New York

NYC-based South Korean violinist and composer, Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim, is a curious mind and a changemaker in the experimental music scene. Her debut album, Starling, is set to release on June 2nd, 2023.

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