Matthew Kim, 16, is a Negaunee Foundation Academy Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago, a nationally recognized conservatory for advanced pre-college musicians. Matthew currently studies violin performance with Sang Mee Lee at MIC. He is a recipient of the 2024-2025 MIC Merit Scholarship and the 2019 Chicago Chamber Music Festival Merit Scholarship.
His accolades include an honorable mention in the 2025 DePaul National Concerto Competition, First Prizes in the Annual State Olympic Music Competition hosted by the Illinois Music Association in 2021, 2022, and 2024, Second Prize in the Junior Division of the 2022 Society of American Musicians Violin Competition, and Third Prizes in the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competitions in 2022 and 2018.
Matthew has extensive orchestral experience as a violinist in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra from 2015 to 2023, where he served as concertmaster in both the Debut and Concert Orchestras. He has also been an active chamber musician for many years, performing as a violinist and violist in string quartets, string trios, and piano quartets. He has participated in master classes with Simon James, Desiree Ruhstrat, and Ching-Yi Lin.
Matthew serves as concertmaster of the Whitney Young Magnet High School Chamber Orchestra and was selected for the 2025 District 1 ILMEA Regional Orchestra as well as the 2025 Illinois All-State Honors Orchestra.
For the past two summers, he attended Center Stage Strings and studied with Fabiola Kim and Elbert Tsai. Matthew shares his love of music by performing in various community settings. His past community engagements include the Thirsty Ear Festival, the Young Steinway Concert Series at the Skokie Library, The Merion holiday concert, various public school performances, and church masses.
In his free time, Matthew enjoys playing basketball and hanging out with friends.
Violin Concerto in E minor Op. 64, Felix Mendelssohn, 13:28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAG0U1uf_H8&t=25s&ab_channel=thenuprofessor
