Earning consistent recognition as an artist with “adventurous musical depth and versatility” and “overwhelming energy” from well-known German Newspapers as Der Tagesspiegel and Braunschweiger Zeitung, violist Sara Kim is the first place winner of 6 different international competitions including the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Hochschulwettbewerb in Germany and the Beethovenuv Hradec International Music Competition in the Czech Republic.

Born in Korea in 1988, Sara Kim followed her parents to Russia and started playing violin in Moscow at the age of 7. After finishing her programs in Gnessin special school of music and Gnessin state musical college, she moved to Berlin in 2006. There, she attended the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music, where she earned a Diploma degree in Violin, studying with Prof. Michael Vogler. After completing of her Diploma degree, Sara began Viola studies at the same academy under Prof. Friedemann Weigle.

In 2012, Sara finished her Master of Music degree with the highest marks, and was also praised by the judges, including Tabea Zimmermann, for her performance. Sara is also a graduate of the Berlin University of the Arts under Prof. Hartmut Rohde, where she earned top scores in the Instrumental-Soloist program. During her studies in Berlin, she also studied chamber music with the Artemis Quartet. Summer 2017 she completed her Meisterklasse certificate at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts Munich under the tutelage of Prof. Nils Mönkemeyer. 

Since an early age, Sara has played throughout Europe, including in Germany and Russia, as an active chamber musician and a soloist. In Moscow, she played in a concert commemorating the 30th anniversary of death of David Oistrakh, and also with Gnessin Symphony Orchestra as a guest performer for the Moscow International House of Music opening concert. After a performance in Saipan, Sara received a plaque of appreciation from the mayer, Juan Bora Tutel, and in 2003, she was invited to play in a concert of “Prominent Musicians of Overseas Korean” at the Seoul Arts Center with the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a violist, she has performed at venues such as the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Musikfrühling am Bodensee, and the Oberstdorfer Musiksommer. She has also worked with orchestras including the Konzerthausochester Berlin, Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, Staatsorchester Braunschweig, Sinfonieorchester des Orchesterzentrum NRW, and the Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Wernigerode. In 2016, Sara's first CD had been produced with the support of Freunde Junger Musiker e.V. Berlin. In the same year, along with Oboist Andrey Godik, violinist Aleksey Semenenko, and cellist Benedict Klöckner, Sara Kim formed an active group called Unique Quartet and has been invited to and performed in many music festivals.

In 2012, Sara was invited to the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben’s 50th Anniversary summer concert and the Presidential Palace of Berlin concert and performed in front of the President of Germany. In the same year, she was also invited and performed at the “New Artist for the Next Generation Concert”, held by Korean Music Association-German Branch. In addition, she played many different invitational recital throughout Germany, including at the Konzerthaus Berlin. In February 2017, Sara was invited to Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation’s Rising Star series and performed successfully at Kumho Arthall for her Korean debut.

From 2011 to 2013, Sara obtained the Unit4-Exzellenzstipendium scholarship from both the Oscar und Vera Ritter-Stiftung and the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music and was nominated as a Gerd Bucerius-Stipendium scholarship recipient in 2014. With support from the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben foundation, with which Sara has been associated since 2012, she performed at International Max Rostal Competition 2015 with a rented Viola from Italian Artisan, Paolo Antonio Testore, made in 1740. In the Competition, Sara won both 2nd prize and audience prize in Viola section.

After experience as a substitute in the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sara won the position of principal violist in the Staatsorchester Braunschweig in 2013 and worked there for 6 year. After that she changed to Gewandhaus Orchestra for the same position and played for 2 years. In summer 2016 she joined Bayreuth Wagner Festival Orchestra. Also she plays regularly as a guest principal with Deutsche Oper Berlin, MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Niedersächsische Staatsorchester Hannover, Nuremberg Philharmonic and Bielefeld Philharmonic. 

Sara was an adjunct professor at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music , Academy of Music and Performing Arts Munich and currently she teaches at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts Leipzig.