Jonah Kim is an artist of great charisma and originality. Kim’s beauty of tone is immediately distinguishable by its signature sweetness. He invites the listener in with “the cosy warmth of a well-loved cashmere sweater," (Gramophone) then “dives into the music with courage underpinned by formidable technical prowess, with which he achieves a dazzling performance.” (All About the Arts) “One of the very finest American cellists, he brings out things that you possibly never realized were in [the music]. He has that indefinable “it”. (Art Music Lounge)

Kim made his solo debut with Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Philadelphia Orchestra at 12 years of age. He made his Kennedy Center debut with Marvin Hamlisch and the National Symphony within the year and has since performed with many orchestras around the world. Also an exhilarating a recital artist, he has captivated audiences on some of the most prestigious stages around the world. His ensemble Trio Barclay, with pianist Sean Kennard and Pacific Symphony concertmaster Dennis Kim, is in residence at the Barclay Theatre in Orange County, California. They have premiered a new commission for every concert they have played since their inception.

Kim’s passion for chamber music stems from his fellowship at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where his ensemble with Joel Link (violinist of the award-winning Dover Quartet) and international piano sensation Yuja Wang performed the piano trio repertoire extensively. He now enjoys collaborating with his friends like conductor/violinist Scott Yoo who hosts the hit PBS docu-series Now Hear This. Aside from Kim’s cameos on the show, they perform and record together at Yoo’s Festival Mozaic. Kim has also worked with Van Cliburn Competition winner Jon Nakamatsu, Chee-Yun Kim (you may recognize her from her cameo on the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm) and leading members of world-class ensembles such as the Orpheus and New Century chamber orchestras, and the Guarneri and Tokyo Quartets.

One of Kim’s favorite ways to make music is in a recording studio. His debut album on the Delos label features the great romantic sonatas of Rachmaninoff and Barber with pianist Sean Kennard. It released in 2020 to rave reviews. In 2021, Kim released his second album for Delos, Approaching Autumn, titled after the new American work by Mark Abel bridging behemoths, the Kodaly Solo and the Grieg sonatas. It was received with further critical acclaim for “[capturing] the very elusiveness that gives the music its substance” (Gramophone) and “flawless delivery of its Herculean technical demands” (The Strad). Kim is joined by Robert Koenig on the piano who together “partner beyond perfection… [they] prove to be the ideal interpreters of this music” (All About the Arts).

Born in Seoul, South Korea, American cellist Jonah Kim taught himself the cello watching VHS tapes of Pablo Casals. He was awarded full scholarship to The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division at the age of seven. Growing up in New York City, he played for many of the pedagogues in the area including Aldo Parisot and Harvey Shapiro. Kim then became penpals with Janos Starker who invited him to Bloomington just before his ninth birthday. He continued to study with Starker throughout his career at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he enrolled at eleven years of age. Under the supervision of then Dean Robert Fitzpatrick, he was the first fellow ever to train with multiple instructors, receiving lessons from Orlando Cole, Peter Wiley and Lynn Harrell. Kim defines a truly American school of cello by reconciling the Italian, German, Russian, Franco-Spanish and Hungarian lineages.

Kim’s favorite cello is the award winning “Stella” made in San Francisco by Haide Lin in 2022. Stella is paired with a bow made in Paris in 1904 by Jules Fétique. Kim makes his home in San Francisco with his wife, the respected and beloved American ballerina, Julia Rowe.