Clara Kim

Born in Seoul, South Korea, cellist Clara Minhye Kim has performed as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout Canada, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Switzerland, Thailand, and the U.S. She has been a guest performer and faculty member at the Jerusalem Music Center in Israel, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and Perlman Music Program in the U.S., Seoul Music Festival, Busan Music Festival, and Pyeongchang Great Mountains music festivals in Korea, Beauvais and Festival Music Alp in France, and Morningside Music Bridge in Poland.

As a recipient of numerous scholarships and fellowship grants from Juilliard, New England Conservatory (BM), and Yale and Columbia universities (MM, EdDCT); her principal teachers included Channing Robbins, Laurence Lesser, and Aldo Parisot

Kim founded and heads the cello section of the New York Music Competition, which has been sponsored by the Korea Times since 2007, and she conducts master classes throughout the world. She has served as an adjudicator for various national and international competitions and has recorded for the CRI, SNK, and Albany record labels. Her book on cello method was published by the Korea Economic Daily and Business Publications Inc.

In 2011, she was chosen by the U.S. State Department as one of the Korean-American representatives in the arts for South Korean President Lee and U.S. Secretary of State Clinton. Kim’s students have been recognized at numerous national and international competitions and awards including the Jack Cooke, Janos Starker, Irving Klein, Johansen, Andre Navarra, Pablo Casals, and Young Tchaikovsky competitions. In addition to being on the Juilliard college and Pre-College faculties, she is also on the Columbia faculty.