Introducing Dean Kim
He’s committed to the traditional arts, yet he understands the need for change in the arts through new technologies, new thinking and a new understanding of the world. He’s a
performer, administrator and educator. Most importantly, he’s passionate about the arts
and their impact on society.
When Kwang-Wu Kim begins his tenure as dean of the Herberger College of Fine Arts on Aug. 1, 2006, he’ll share his vision; one that connects artists to people and society.
“I believe that the arts – whether visual, performing, musical or other forms - express our basic humanity, and that the experience of the arts will always be relevant,” said Kim. “However, in many cases, artists, in the way they are educated, are increasingly isolated,
rather than connected to the world.”
Kim hopes to impact educational delivery methods, helping artists find new ways of sharing
their gifts with the world. As current president of the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Mass.,
Kim embraces the conservatory’s requirement for students to share their talents in non-traditional settings, with non-traditional audiences. The requirement seeks to connect students with the
outside world and help them learn about themselves and their relationship with society.
Kim’s rethinking of purpose and models in fine arts education fits the mission of ASU President Michael Crow, whose New American University vision is reshaping the educational landscape of the university. “President Kim is a first-rate intellect who will bring tremendous energy and creativity to the already outstanding Herberger College,” said Crow.
Kim’s prior experience includes artistic and administrative director positions with El Paso
Pro-Musica and the El Paso Chamber Music Festival, which he co-founded. He has held
teaching positions with the Longy School of Music, the University of Texas at El Paso, the Peabody Institute and Dickinson College. Kim holds a doctorate of musical arts from the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, magna cum laude, from Yale University.
Other professional activity includes guest faculty and speaking engagements at Stanford University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education and numerous juror and panelist positions for the International Piano Competition for Young Musicians in the Netherlands
and the National Association of Schools of Music.
A student of legendary pianist Leon Fleisher, Kim debuted at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and continues to perform globally as an orchestral soloist, recitalist and chamber
musician. He replaces J. Robert Wills, dean of the Herberger College for more than 12 years.
