Benny Kim (born 14 August 1962,

Urbana, Illinois Urbana ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. As of the 2010 United States Census, Urbana is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 38th-most pop ...

, USA) is an American

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

ist of Korean ancestry. One of three sons of Hei Chu Kim and Hyung Ja Kim, his brother Eric Kim is a cellist. Kim's early teachers included Doris Preucil and Almita Vamos. He studied at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

under

Dorothy DeLay Dorothy DeLay (March 31, 1917 – March 24, 2002) was an American violin instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Cincinnati. Life Dorothy DeLay was born on March 31, 1917, in Medicine Lodg ...

, and graduated in 1986 with bachelor's and master's degrees. In 1981, he was a prize-winner in the

Saint Louis Symphony The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is the second-oldest professional symphony orc ...

Young Artist Competition. In 1983, he won the

Young Concert Artists Young Concert Artists is a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting the careers of talented young classical musicians from all over the world. The competition, founded in 1961, allows artists from all over ...

competition. Kim has a specific focus on chamber music performances and is a regular featured musician at chamber music festivals such as the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival,

Music from Angel Fire Music from Angel Fire, (MFAF) is the first chamber music festival in New Mexico designed to serve the artistic needs of rural northern New Mexico communities. This touring summer chamber music festival currently produces 15 outstanding concerts in ...

, La Jolla SummerFest,

Chamber Music Northwest Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW) is an American non-profit organization in Portland, Oregon that is dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music. The organization's main presentation is its annual five-week Summer Festival, that occurs ...

, and the Laurel Festival. He has also been active as a concerto soloist. In 1995, Kim joined the violin faculty at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and currently has the title of associate professor.

References

External links

University of Missouri - Kansas City biography

Chamber Music Northwest biography

Western Illinois University, page on Hei Chu and Hyung Ja Kim Piano Scholarship
Living people American classical violinists Male classical violinists American male violinists University of Missouri–Kansas City faculty Juilliard School alumni 1962 births 21st-century classical violinists 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American violinists {{US-violinist-stub