South Korean-born singer-songwriter-recording artist and classically trained multi-instrumentalist Dami Im made her first mark with Australian audiences in 2013, winning the reality television singing competition The X Factor. She later moved on to International fame when she came second in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest.
When Dami was nine years old, she came to Australia with her family. Her early schooling was full of challenges as she didn’t know a word of English. Growing up, Dami always assumed she would become a classical pianist as that is what she was good at since starting to play at age 5, and her parents aspired to see her tour the world as classical pianist. Her mother Hae Yun (Helen) Lee is a trained classical opera singer, much as Dami is a trained classical pianist – the musical talent is inherited. Her teachers and friends started to notice her talent on the piano and she began winning Eisteddfods in Brisbane, as well as taking part in State and National Piano competitions. However, as a teenager listening to the likes of Kylie Minogue, Mariah Carey and The Spice Girls, her secret dream was to become a pop singer. She never imagined she would be achieving such phenomenal success and see her dreams come true a decade later.
Dami’s achievements are numerous and include her outstanding academic qualifications, her multiple ARIA Platinum and Gold accreditations for her recorded music releases, second placing out of 42 nations as the representative singer for Australia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016, as well as an award winning sellout national tour with 50 concerts.
Dami is an accomplished vocalist with a soprano voice, and she can sing many genres of music including Pop, Jazz, Classical, Gospel and Rock. As a musician she is classically trained and academically qualified in piano, violin, flute, while also playing the guitar and ukulele. Her piano teacher for her Music Degree at the University of Queensland remarked on her vocal talent:
“She has perfect pitch and she moved into that arena where she could sing on the note and make a beautiful sound.”
However, despite her achievements, she remains humble and is a long time Compassion Ambassador promoting their work on the alleviation of child poverty worldwide through child sponsorship.
Her advice to her 15 year old self: "Never miss any opportunities that come your way, even if it is outside your comfort zone."
