David Kim

Violinist

Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1999, David Kim was born in Carbondale, Illinois, started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight and later received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Juilliard School. In 1986 he was the only American violinist to win a prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Mr. Kim is founder and artistic director of the Kingston Chamber Music Festival at the University of Rhode Island (founded in 1989). He also holds the position of Special Guest Artist there and in 2001, was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Arts. Mr. Kim devotes a portion of his schedule each year to bringing classical music to children. In conjunction with the Kingston Chamber Music Festival, Mr. Kim founded an annual outreach program that takes him to elementary schools, performing and speaking about classical music in an effort to cultivate future audiences. In the past 12 years, Mr. Kim has performed for well over 10,000 young people in the State of Rhode Island.

Mr. Kim gives annual master classes at the Manhattan School of Music and the Curtis Institute as well as many other institutions. Later this year, Kalmus Music Publishers will release new editions of the Saint-Saens Violin Concerto in B minor, Havanaise, and Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, edited by Mr. Kim.

Mr. Kim's numerous solo engagements around the world have included the orchestras of Dallas, Pittsburgh, Capetown, KBS (Korea), and Moscow, as well as the Buffalo, Rhode Island, and Seoul Philharmonics, the Polish National Radio Orchestra, and numerous orchestras across Central and South America. Mr. Kim appears as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra every season. Before coming to Philadelphia, Mr. Kim served as Senior Associate Concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

He is a frequent guest at summer events such as the Seattle and Kuhmo (Finland) chamber music festivals. From 1991 to 1996, Mr. Kim was a member of the Diaz Trio with which he toured the United States, Europe, Central and South America.

At age 12 he appeared with Itzhak Perlman as the subject of "Prodigy", a WNEW-TV (New York) production, and has since been featured nationally in specials on the CBS, NBC, and PBS networks. He has also been featured prominently on National Public Radio and in "Newsweek" magazine. Mr. Kim's recordings can be heard on the Dorian (Diaz Trio), Warner, Musical Heritage Society and SKC labels. He is Artistic Advisor for the Ocean State Chamber Orchestra in Providence, RI. Mr. Kim resides in a suburb of Philadelphia with his wife Jane and daughters Natalie and Margaret.