Hyugrai “Ray” Kim, a native of South Korea, joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of the 2023/24 season.
In his early years, Mr. Kim won the First Prize in the Korean Music Concours and the Third Prize in the Pho-Ne Classic Competition in South Korea. At the age of 14, he made his debut with the Seoul Royal Symphony Orchestra, performing Haydn’s Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in C major at the Young-San Art Hall.
After relocating to Atlanta during high school, he studied under Daniel Laufer. During this time, he also became a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and participated in Franklin Pond Chamber Music, where he developed a passion for chamber music.
Mr. Kim’s musical pursuits encompass a comprehensive exploration of classical music repertoires. He extensively studied piano trio repertoire with members of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio and delved into string repertoire with members of the Cleveland, Cavani, Ying, and Miro quartets.
His career includes performances at notable music festivals, including the Austin Camerata, Caroga Lake Music Festival, Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Festival Mozaic, and the Pacific Music Festival.
He holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music (BM), the Eastman School of Music (MM), and the University of Texas at Austin (DMA).
Mr. Kim’s commitment to music education is evident through his roles as a teaching assistant to cellists Steven Doane and Bion Tsang during his studies at the Eastman School of Music and the University of Texas at Austin, respectively. He also served as a member of the teaching staff at the University of Texas at Austin, where he provided individual and group cello lessons and contributed to the faculty of the String Project at the University of Texas at Austin for three years.