Conductor: Docki Kim
Docki Kim, the conductor of Korea Coop Orchestra, has premiered <werther>, <Fedora>, <I Due Foscari>, after coming back from Milano to South Korea in 1986. He has been a great conductor, helping Korean opera industry step forward. His performance always give the audience moving feeling. At the same time, as a nationally renowned conductor, his reputation is acclaimed by professionals of the opera industry. He worked as a conductor in Seoul Arts Center 「Opera Festival」, 「50·60·70th anniversary concert of Korea opera」, National Ballet performances, and domesic & international performances of Korea National Opera and Universal Ballet.He majored in Piano, when he was in Seoul Arts High School, and Dankook University. When he was in college, he went to South Oregon College and Northen Ohio University as an exchange student. After then, he studied piano performing in Milano Verdi Conservatòri, and conducting in Civica Musica. He worked as a conductor in KBS symphony orchestra, Seoul Phil, Korean Symphony, Sinsei Phil, Nihon Phil, Tokyo Metropolitan Orch., Thessaloniki National Orch., Hongkong Phil , Singapore Metropolotan Orch, etc. Also, he is deeply working with record industry. He has arranged and conducted more than 30 albums of famous Korean vocalists, all songs of Korean cahmber orchestra and Mozart Horn Concerto of Yeongryul Kim.
He has been awarded ‘2009 Korean Opera Award’ by Daegu city metropolitan government, ‘Award of Minister of Education’ in 2013, ‘Korean Opera Awards Gold Prize’ in 2023. After his retirement from Professor of Seoul National University Music College, he is now concentrating on performing and music album recording.
Orchestra: KOREA COOP ORCHESTRA
As the Framework Act on Cooperatives was introduced in December 2012, artistic organizations were given a chance to set up an association. Amid these periodic trends, specialized performers who had longed for an independent, self-sustained and automatic community inaugurated Korea Coop Orchestra based on such cooperative values as self-help and self-responsibility, equity, democracy, equity and solidarity.
As performers organize, operate and manage an orchestra for themselves, they take responsibility for qualitative improvement of performances and push for a kind and bright orchestra while maintaining a high level of performing competence on the back of detailed service regulations and thorough self-reflection. It also aims not only to guarantee basic living expenses to affiliated performers but also to create sound jobs for many performers who majored in music on the strength of transparent operation of budgets.
KOREA COOP ORCHESTRA is concentrated on original classical performances centering around regular concerts, operas, ballets, tour concerts as well as overseas performances and continues to hold concerts for the culturally underprivileged.
Upon inauguration, it successfully held “La Scala” (AIDA 1963) and was highly evaluated for <Young-ok Shin’s Commemorative Concert for Album Release> featuring Young-ok Shin. It regularly participates in Poeun Art Hall Matinee Concert <10th Year> in 2017 following 2015 and 2016, and took part in 80 performances including Rusalka by Korea National Opera in 2016, Yuhki Kuramoto and Lotte Concert Hall New Year’s Eve Concert. In 2017, it plans to organize various performances including CBS Beautiful Passion, Madame Butterfly by SUGI Opera Company, Cavalleria by Sol Opera Company, Onegin by Universal Ballet, Matinee in Seoul Art Center and Money Today Performance.
The Korea Coop Orchestra cannot answer all questions. It is too early to even say it is hopeful. However, it seems that the Korea Coop Orchestra may be an alternative, thus making it possible to catch such two rabbits as ‘economic achievements and social responsibilities’ at the same time in the era of unbridled competition.