ST. LOUIS SYMPHONY NAMES NEW MUSICIANS
(ST. LOUIS) – The St. Louis Symphony announced today that David Kim has been named new Assistant Principal Cello. David will start in his position in September with the 2014-15 season.
A native of Dallas, Texas, David started playing the cello at the age of four. After deciding to pursue a career in music, he went on to receive his Bachelors & Masters degrees from The Juilliard School. While at Juilliard on full scholarship, he studied with Harvey Shapiro. Other teachers included Ronald Leonard, Stephen Geber and David Finckel. During his time in New York, Kim performed various solo and chamber concerts at Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall and at the Kosciusko Foundation for the Violoncello Society of New York. He also served as Principal Cellist of the Juilliard Orchestra and with the New York String Orchestra under Jaime Laredo.
David joined the St. Louis Symphony in 1999, appointed by the late Hans Vonk. Recent chamber music performances outside of Powell Hall include concerts at the Pulitzer Foundation, Saint Louis Art Museum, Innsbrook Institute and Sheldon Concert Hall. David also works extensively with the Community Music School of Webster University and the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra.
The St. Louis Symphony is also proud to announce the appointments of two new musicians for the 2014-2015 season:
Christopher Dwyer, horn. Chris Dwyer previously served as Second Horn for the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Principal Horn for the Sarasota Opera Orchestra. He has frequently performed as a guest with many orchestras including the Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Malaysian, and Kansas City symphony orchestras. Chris participated in Deutsche Grammophon studio recording projects with both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Pierre Boulez and with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nezet-Seguin. Chris has performed in many music festivals including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Santa Fe Opera, Music from Angel Fire, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival at Yale University, and the National Repertory Orchestra. Chris received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he was a student of Eli Epstein. He also studied with Dale Clevenger while serving as a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.
Julie Thayer, horn. A native of Atlanta, Julie Thayer has previously held positions with the Houston Symphony and Harrisburg Symphony, and has been a regular guest with many others, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, and Atlanta Symphony. Most recently she was acting Fourth horn with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, with whom she collaborated on multiple recordings and tours. Julie graduated from the Eastman School of Music, studying under Peter Kurau, and later worked with William Ver Meulen at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. She was an inaugural recitalist at the Kennedy Center’s Conservatory Series, and was a winner in the International Horn Society’s 2004 orchestral competition. She has also been a frequent guest artist or participant at many leading summer festivals, including Mainly Mozart, La Jolla Summer Fest, Breckenridge Music Festival, the National Orchestra Institute, and the Music Academy of the West. Julie plays a custom-made horn by Dan Rauch.
Founded in 1880 and now in its 134th season, the St. Louis Symphony is the second-oldest orchestra in the country and widely considered one of the world’s finest. In September 2005, internationally acclaimed conductor David Robertson became the 12th Music Director, the second American-born conductor to hold that post in the Orchestra’s history. The St. Louis Symphony strives for artistic excellence, fiscal responsibility and community connection while meeting its mission statement: enriching people’s live through the power of music. The Symphony presents a full season of classical programs and Live at Powell Hall concerts, as well as hundreds of free education and community programs each year.
