Eric Kim, cello
Eric Kim, Principal Cellist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra since 1989, has performed throughout the United States, Europe, South America, and Middle and Far East as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra. At age 15, he made his solo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Kim has appeared as soloist with the symphony orchestras of Cincinnati, Denver and San Diego, and was a featured soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra on its critically acclaimed tour of the Far East. He has collaborated with such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Paavo Järvi, Jesús López-Cobos, Sergiu Comissiona and Lawrence Foster. As a recitalist , Mr. Kim has been heard in the cities of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Active as a chamber musician, Mr. Kim has performed with such artists as Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Yefim Bronfman, Lynn Harrell, Jaime Laredo, Cho-Liang Lin and Menachem Pressler. At the invitation of Pinchas Zukerman, he performed with Zukerman at festivals of Athens, Mostly Mozart, Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) and Verbier. He has also participated in several tours to South America and Israel as a member of the “Pinchas Zukerman and Friends” chamber ensemble. Highlights include chamber music debuts at Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts performing both Brahms Sextets with Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Michael Tree, among others. Mr. Kim can also be heard at the festivals of Aspen, Bravo! Colorado (Vail), La Jolla and Santa Fe. Mr. Kim has also made several recordings for the RCA, EMI and Koch labels.

As a teacher, Mr. Kim has students in major orchestras throughout the world, and is a Valade Program teacher at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He also is a regular coach and performer at the Music Masters Course in Kasuza, Japan.

Born of Korean parents in New York City, Mr. Kim grew up in Illinois where he began piano studies with his mother at the age of five. At age 10, he began his cello studies with Tanya L. Carey. Mr. Kim received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School where he studied with Leonard Rose, Lynn Harrell and Channing Robbins. Upon graduation, Mr. Kim received the first William Schuman Prize, awarded for outstanding leadership and achievement in music.