Nubim Kim is a Korean composer whose work bridges architecture and music, East and West, jazz and classical. Her distinctive musical voice emerges from interdisciplinary and intercultural exploration.

Before turning to music, Nubim studied architecture and won the Korean Architecture Award. She worked professionally for three years before fully dedicating herself to music. She later studied jazz piano and composition, winning multiple international composition awards. In Korea, she taught composition and harmony at major conservatories and founded an independent label through which she produced her own albums and collaborated with artists facross disciplines.

Since 2015, she has been based in the Netherlands, where she deepened her engagement with Western musical traditions. She holds master’s degrees in jazz and classical composition from conservatories in Korea and the Netherlands. Her academic and cultural experiences have shaped her into a unique and original compositional voice, blending intuitive and analytical methods.

At Codarts, her research focused on “The Musicalization of Architecture.” This concept—translating mathematical analyses of Korean and Western architecture into musical language—guided her album ‘Chapel of Light’ (2020), the first in a series of works exploring the convergence of artistic disciplines and cultural traditions. Her second release in this multicultural, cross-genre research series is ‘Crossroads’ (2023), a string duo for violin and double bass. It gained attention from record labels, cultural foundations and orchestras for its bold, innovative approach, and was nominated for Best Global Contemporary Album at the Korean Music Awards, underscoring its artistic and cultural significance.

Nubim writes for a wide range of ensembles, from solo to orchestral, using both acoustic and electronic media. Her music blends contemporary classical with jazz harmony, emphasizing melody and accessibility. She also treats arranging as a creative discipline, often transforming pieces into reimagined, emotionally resonant works. Her compositions have been performed by ensembles such as Ereprijs & Phion at the Andriessen Festival, Hayo Boerema at Laurenskerk, and the Doelen Ensemble. Her electronic piece was featured at ICMC and permanently archived at NYU.

She leads the Nubim Kim Group, a genre-crossing ensemble of saxophones, marimba, piano, and cello. In 2025, the group will premiere her new project 'Connectivity' in Rotterdam and at a major Korean national festival, supported by multiple cultural foundations.

At the core of her work is a desire to explore the inner connections between different art forms and practices, using their motifs and structures as compositional tools. In this ongoing artistic journey, Nubim continues to refine a unique approach, bridging East and West, architecture and music, classical tradition and jazz innovation.