ABOUT US
Who We Are
A nonprofit community where music, culture, and well-being meet.
OUR MISSION
Sonare Music Society enriches lives and builds community through the beauty and power of music, nurturing well-being, connecting cultures across generations, and inspiring tomorrow’s musicians and music lovers.
소나레 뮤직 소사이어티는 음악의 아름다움과 힘으로 삶을 풍요롭게 하고, 세대와 문화를 잇는 건강한 공동체를 만들어 갑니다.
OUR FOUNDER
Dr. Hwa-Jin Kim
Founder and President
Dr. Hwa-Jin Kim is a concert pianist and educator who believes music belongs at the heart of a well-lived life. She founded Sonare Music Society to share that conviction with the wider community through concerts, lecture recitals, and gatherings where music, culture, and friendship meet.
A graduate of Seoul National University, where she studied on full scholarship, Dr. Kim earned her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from Manhattan School of Music, where she later joined the faculty. She taught for more than 22 years at the University of North Carolina Asheville and is a two-time recipient of the Steinway & Sons Top Teacher Award.
In 2026 she created The Beethoven 32, a week-long presentation of all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas by 32 pianists. The same year she founded the Sonare Club of Atlanta, a salon-style series now presented by the Society. She is currently leading the Sonare Chopin Festival 2027 and the Inaugural Sonare Gala.
She is also the author of You Are Slightly Very Late (2025), funny and profound moments from the college music classroom, including stories of resilience during Hurricane Helene, and of the Sonare planners, music theory workbooks, and assignment books for piano students.
Dr. Kim is also the founder and artistic director of Sonare Music Academy.
OUR PROGRAMS
Sonare Club of Atlanta
A salon-style classical music series in Atlanta, with concerts, lectures, and conversation.
Lecture Recitals & Master Classes
Free programs in North Carolina exploring the history and stories behind the music.
Sonare Chopin Festival 2027
Four days of Chopin, March 4 to 7, 2027, in partnership with Freeburg Pianos.
The Inaugural Sonare Gala
An evening of music and celebration, February 20, 2027, at La Luce Theatre.
Sonare 100 Club
Music, movement, and friendship on the way to one hundred.
Gallery
Moments from our recent concerts, lectures, and gatherings.
OUR ORGANIZATION
Sonare Music Society, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in North Carolina and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.