Kim and Shea met at 19 while attending Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio, where they shared the spotlight in a piano trio.

“In a way, we grew up together talking about our favorite pieces, composers, dream places to visit, and so on,” said Kim, CWU’s Director of Keyboard Studies.

After Oberlin, they attended Indiana University Bloomington, before enrolling in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at Stony Brook University in New York. However, it wasn’t until 2015, when they were newly married and expecting a child, that they started playing as a duo.

“I was preparing for the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium and had a lot of repertoire to prepare that Yerin graciously helped with,” said Shea, a Visiting Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at CWU. “I found working with her was an incredible setting for continued artistic growth.”

The two have been performing together as the Shea-Kim Duo ever since, touring across Asia, Europe, and North America. The first part of their third album, “Touch,” will be released by the classical recording label Blue Griffin this fall.

Shea explained how they chose the theme for the album: “We really wanted to play the Schubert Fantasie … The word touch came to mind, since it is so important to playing both piano and violin, but especially so with the delicate colors of this particular piece.”

Finding many different composers and pieces suited to the theme, the couple decided to extend “Touch” into two parts. They took photos for the album in Italy after teaching and performing at the Zephyr music festival there this summer.

“Walking around the gorgeous streets of Torino and seeing how the architecture surrounds the everyday life of people really inspired us,” Kim said. “All the pieces in the album depict and evoke different textures, colors, emotions, and as a result a completely different touch when playing our instruments.”

Despite their side-by-side educations, both musicians bring different touches (and perspectives) to their performance. Shea focuses on phrasing and energy, while Kim focuses on depth and color. Rehearsing sometimes sparks heated debates, but the end result is worth it. Working together has allowed them to accomplish more than they might have independently.

“We often think of compromise as a watering down of a good idea,” Shea said. “If you’re in a group of any size with people who are equally inquisitive and excited about the music, it’s worth allowing for some flexibility.”

Although she insisted that she was always right, Kim ultimately agreed, emphasizing the power of compromise.

“Chamber music has taught me so much about music, people, and myself,” she said. “Learning how to listen to others so that you can find joy in creating something that is larger than yourself is life changing.”