Hae Joo Kim Named Assistant Chair of Berklee’s Professional Music Department

Berklee has named Hae Joo Kim as assistant chair of Berklee’s Professional Music Department. Kim is trained as a concert pianist, and is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. She received her master's degree in piano from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, as well as a master's degree in arts administration from Drexel University. She received her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University, and has served as faculty at CUNY York College, the University of Utah Asia Campus, and Stony Brook University. She assumed the role of assistant chair on August 17, 2020. 

"We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Hae Joo Kim as the next assistant chair of Berkee's Professional Music Department,” says Darla Hanley, dean of the Professional Education Division. “Dr. Kim brings an impressive combination of experience in ethnomusicology, piano, administration, teaching, and K-pop research—she is a multifaceted professional who embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of the department."

Kim has continued her research with a focus on popular music in Korea, notably in the realm of media and television. She was awarded grants and research fellowships from the Fulbright Program, Korea Foundation, the Korean Embassy, the Academy of Korean Studies, and the Freeman Foundation. Kim brings her expertise on pop music and Korean culture to Berklee at a time when K-pop music is soaring in global popularity and acclaim. She also works as a translator in Korean media on various television dramas, films, and documentaries. 

About the Professional Music Department

Berklee’s Professional Music Department focuses on developing educational plans for achieving success in the music industry. Berklee alumni who majored in professional music include Grammy winners Esperanza Spalding B.M. ‘05 and Paula Cole B.M. ‘90; John Blackwell ‘95 (drummer for Prince); Derek Sivers B.M. ‘91 (founder of CD Baby); and Peiter “Mudge” Zatko B.M. '92, who works in Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects Division. Students in the program take courses focusing on the entrepreneurial and professional aspects of building a music career.