| Kihae Kim-DeFazio began her musical education at the age of four on piano. She began playing cello when she was eight years old. At the age of thirteen, she was the youngest performer to be selected as guest soloist with the Seoul National Symphony. At the age of 14, she was selected as the youngest in a group of 10 professional musicians who performed with Janos Starker and Reinhold Buhl in a 12-piece ensemble. She has been awarded Korea’s highest prize for musical performance, the coveted Nan-Pa award. Since Ms. Kim’s arrival to the United States, she has studied with some of the world’s greatest cellist; Janos Starker, Gregor Piatigorsky, and Gabor Rejto. Since the completion of her studies, Ms. Kim has appeared as soloist in a variety of venues including the Hollywood Bowl, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, the Herbert Zipper Concert Hall, the Crystal Cathedral, the Cerritos Performing Arts Center and the Richard M. Nixon Birthplace and Library. Her audiences have encompassed school children, churches, concertgoers, and the Emperor and Empress of Japan.
Ms. Kim has more than 30 years of teaching experience and has served as a jury member for a variety of competitions and auditions. She is a coach for a variety of orchestras including the Southern California Youth Philharmonic and is a member of the Musical Arts Club, the SYMF, and the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC). Ms. Kim teaches cello privately and at Cypress College, and she appears frequently as a soloist and as a chamber/orchestra musician. She is currently serving as a Panel String Chair for the MTAC. For more information visit her web site at http://www.kihae.com
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