Music Through Disability

Kim Jong-hoon was born in 1968 as the eldest son of two sons and two daughters. He suffered from congenital cataracts and glaucoma, leading to severe visual impairment.
Currently, he is completely blind in his left eye, and the vision in his right eye is deteriorating progressively, reaching a point where he can only recognize the shapes of objects.
He first encountered the violin in the first grade of elementary school, finding comfort in the way of placing it on his shoulder and resting it against his cheek while playing.
Consequently, in the fifth grade, he began taking lessons and earnestly pursued his dream of becoming a violinist.
Although he managed to enter university, the reality that unfolded after graduation seemed daunting. Typically, musicians would seek employment in orchestras. However, it was challenging for Kim Jong-hoon with visual impairment. Despite feeling the limitations of his musical career and experiencing considerable pain, he did not give up.
Drawing on the memory of winning first place in the Busan Concours during his school days, he challenged himself in the Donga Concours in 1992 and won third place.

Study Abroad in Germany

While teaching violin at a music academy run by a friend and contemplating his future career path, Kim Jong-hoon received assistance from a university colleague living in Germany and decided to study abroad there in 1994. When preparing for studying aborad, his father suddenly passed away. Despite the big hurdle, he did not back down.
During his stay in Germany as a student, he organized a string quartet and was able to play performance at school and various events, small and big. At a time when he was gaining confidence through diverse stage experiences, he fell in love with a student who played the second violin. She became his eyes slowly and surely. Although he faced many difficulties during his study abroad, he had a fiancee and graduated from the Berlin University of the Arts with top honors.
He engaged in various performance activities such as concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall, performances at the United Nations headquarters, an invitational concert at the German Presidential Palace, and collaboration with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. He concluded his seven-year stay in Germany and returned to Korea by receiving the Axel Springer Prize, which is awarded to each one of promising talents in various fields.

Violinist Kim Jong-hoon's Wishes

After returning to Korea in 2000, Kim Jong-hoon immediately got married. His wife took over what his mother did for him. Since they studied together, his wife provided significant assistance beyond just reading notes throughout his performance activities. 

Thanks to her, he started from guest lecturing at his alma mater, teaching string ensemble classes at Soongsil University. In addition, he could manage his busy schedule.
Currently, serving as the music director of 'Hanbit Performing Art Company' composed solely of visually impaired musicians, he also actively engages in chamber music performances as a violinist.
Even though his vision impairment is in progress, he's not afraid. That is why his whole body, not just his eyes, makes him move. When he was frustrated by the inability to execute sophisticated techniques of playing the violin due to visual impairment, he prayed at church and realized that music isn't just played through instruments but through the heart. Thus, he came to have view of life in which vision is not essential as long as he is with the violin.