Business 101 for Classical Musicians (1–2)
Musicians Need More Than Talent — They Need a Management Skillset.
About the author — Studying Music, Management, and Law
My dream was to become a cellist.
While preparing for the entrance exam at Yewon School (the arts focused middle school based in Seoul, South Korea), I heard of a renowned musician being mistreated by their agency. That experience taught me that talent in music alone isn’t enough. I began exploring artist agency, and the artist management system intrigued me with concert planning through school performances.
This interest led me to double major in Cello and Business Management at the National University of Singapore. Balancing the two majors was tough — I often stayed up nights — but the structured curriculum helped me confront and resolve real challenges I faced as a musician.
One eye-opening course was “Musical Pathways,” a required class at the school of music. Through this, I realized the necessity of business management education even in the school of music. The school helped students become self-reliant musicians by equipping them with fundamental business knowledge, introduced various career paths in the classical industry, and encouraged adaptability. I gained hands-on experience in planning concerts, promotions, and writing grant proposals — realizing the administrative skills artists need.
In my junior and senior years, I interned at a law firm, the programming and productions team in the school of music, a gallery, and in art collection management, exploring the intersections of arts and business. As an Art Collection Manager, I sought to deepen my understanding and pursued a Master’s degree in Arts and Cultural Management at the Pratt Institute in New York.
In my last semester at Pratt Institute, I realized the gap between the arts industry and the legal industry, and to become a bridge between the two industries, I studied at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s Master in Law program, focusing on art law and intellectual property law.
After graduating from law school, I started teaching business management for artists and designers at my alma mater, Pratt Institute, which has again reminded me of the importance of business management education for artists.
With this experience, I aim to contribute to the development of the classical music scene by providing the necessary knowledge and practical business skills from a management perspective to classical musicians.
(To be continued…)
Written by Leo Kim
