Jonah Kim

Jonah Kim made his solo debut with Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2003. The same year, he also appeared with the National Symphony Orchestra in DC where the Washington Post called him simply, "the next Yo-Yo Ma." Mr. Kim graduated from the Juilliard School then the prestigious Curtis Institute in spring of 2006 while only 17 years old, and has soloed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonia, Symphony of the Americas, Orquestra Sinfônica Nacional and many others. He has performed recitals at the prestigious Phillips Collection, Kimmel Center, Kravis Center and the Kennedy Center where Anne Midgette of the Washington Post wrote, "[Kim] flirted with the line, shaped it, wrapped it around his fingers, pulled it out in a new dimension, all with practiced ease." He has taught students from over 30 countries at Palm Beach Atlantic University's summer music program. He is also the youngest faculty member at CelloSpeak, an annual cello seminar held at Bryn Mawr College.

Born in Seoul, Korea, Mr. Kim immigrated to the United States at the age of seven. His father, a pastor at a Korean Presbyterian Church in New York, introduced him to the cello. Within the year, the seven year old progressed enough to be accepted to the Juilliard School Pre-College Division with full scholarship just by watching and imitating Pablo Casals from VHS tapes of his Bach’s Solo Cello Suites. During his first year at Juilliard, his father wrote to Janos Starker at Indiana University for advice. Starker's invitation to play at his masterclass that summer was pivotal, inspiring the young cellist to continue with renewed motivation. Starker later remarked, "Jonah is an exceptional talent. He is at the top of his generation.” Two years later, he was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied with Peter Wiley, Lynn Harrell, and Orlando Cole who wrote, "Jonah is one of the most accomplished cellists I have taught in my sixty five years on the Curtis faculty.”

Mr. Kim's recordings and live performances air on national and local radio and TV networks such as NPR and PBS. He also records for many pop artists and has performed live in concert with the Beach Boys, Andrea Bocelli, Mariah Carey, Cristian Castro, Vic Damone, Regis Philban, Kenny Rogers, and the Tran-Siberian Orchestra. He plays on a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume dated 1861 generously on loan by a private sponsor.