Israel Kim is a cellist and pianist and is a member of SOUNDS Academy. He began his cello studies with SOUNDS Academy when he was 9 years old and became a student of his current teacher, Jamie Kellogg, when he was 10 years old. He has also studied piano with Aejin Ham since 2020.
As a soloist, Israel has earned several awards and recognitions including the Arizona Cello Society Competition, the OPUS National Competition(Arizona Strings & Piano), IAPMT Concours International Competition, and Arizona Musicfest Young Musician Competition.
Israel has attended several music festivals, including the Arizona Piano Institute Summer Festival and the YOLA National Festival in Los Angeles for three years sine 2021. In 2022, 2023, YOLA National Festival performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. He also participated in the 2020, 2022 AMEA Elementary All-State Festival and Red Rock Winter Chamber Music Institute as a High Schooler in the 2023.
Israel has also been given the opportunity to play the cello in masterclasses for Noriko Kishi, Talya Buckbinder, Shmuel Ashkenasi and play the piano in masterclasses for Elisabeth Pridonoff, Alan Chow, Eckart Sellheim and Dian Baker.
Israel is currently a member of Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra and has been since 2020. He has also been a volunteer in the SOUNDS Academy Collective Orchestra for three years and has been a student Intern at SOUNDS Academy since 2023. He serves as the Head of Sound Department at Prescott Korean Community Church and is in charge of Sound checks and is part of the stage crew at all concerts of SOUNDS Academy.
Outside of cello and piano, Israel loves composing and enjoys listening to music. He also loves make new things out of Lego and Lego Technic parts.
You can find Israel’s 2024 Winter Music Competition cello performance here.