CARBONDALE, Ill. — David Kim, a Carbondale native considered one of the finest and most accomplished violinists in the world, returns to Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Monday, April 24, for an afternoon masterclass with students and free evening recital on campus.
Kim’s evening program, “From Prodigy to Professional — A Life in Music,” is at 7 p.m. in the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall. The recital and master class are sponsored by the SIU Student Fine Arts Activity Fee and the Southern Illinois Symphony Orchestra.
Admission is free, and reservations are not required. The public is also welcome to attend a master class for SIU string students scheduled for 1 p.m., also in the recital hall.
“David Kim, a Carbondale native, is concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra — the instrumental leader of one of the world’s most distinguished ensembles. His return to Carbondale and SIU in an admission-free recital is a unique cultural event for Southern Illinois,” said Ed Benyas, professor of oboe and director of orchestras in the SIU School of Music.
Kim’s performance is portrayed as a journey with Kim as he “describes his experiences and struggles to reach the pinnacle of his career. Interspersed with performances of some of David's favorite works, this is a humorous, sometimes jarring, and often poignant story not to be missed.”
Kim will be accompanied by pianist Jeffrey DeVault, who was a finalist in the American Guild of Organists Regional Competition for Young Organists and the Albert Schweitzer Organ Festival.
Kim was born in Carbondale in 1963 and started playing violin when he was 3 years old. When he was 8, he began studies with famed violin instructor Dorothy DeLay, and later received both his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from The Julliard School. He also has honorary doctorates from Eastern University and Dickinson College.
His first book, “The Audition Method for Violin,” was published in 2022 and is a collection of standard orchestral excerpts that walks readers through each work with Kim’s suggestions on execution, audition strategy, bowings and fingerings.
For more information about these events, email benyas@siu.edu.
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