Born in Korea, Bae’s career as a violinist began at the age of 12 when he performed with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. During that time, Bae crossed paths with violinist Chin Kim and began a lifelong friendship.
“We both prodded each other on to become a better violinist,” Kim said.
Bae went on to attend the Juilliard School where performed in venues around the world. Kim, also a Juilliard graduate, remembers Bae’s skill for Korean cuisine and their camaraderie in exploring music.
“We would play for each other, share musical tastes and we would play together,” Kim said.
Bae also achieved competitive success, winning awards at several European competitions and becoming a recipient of a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, according to the music school.
“I have to say his artistry was transcendent,” said Stephen Wyrczynski, chair of the string department in the music school. “He was a poet on the violin.”
Jeffery Solow, professor of cello at Temple University, was inspired by the way Bae interacted with others as a violinist and as a person.
“I was always impressed by his total integrity as a person, a musician and as a violinist,” Solow said in an email. “When he played in an ensemble, he either led or followed as the occasion required, and he always brought a high level of energy, not only to the performance, but to the rehearsals as well.”
Bae joined the music school as a faculty member in August 1999. Although a violinist, Wyrczynski said Bae worked with student musicians from a variety of backgrounds.
“He was in contact with a large swath of the school — more than the average faculty,” Wyrczynski said.
In later years, Bae served as the concertmaster of the Hwaum Chamber Orchestra in Korea. He also taught at several schools across the nation, according to the music school.
Despite the professional acclaim he received, Bae will be remembered for his willingness to give.
“His generosity, his home was always open for overnight guests,” Kim said. “His ears were always open to hear about good and bad things. His musicianship was as high as it can go, but the foremost word is his ?generosity.”
