KAMF

Seung Ju Kim was born in Korea and began his first violin lesson at the age of eleven with Mr. Hyung-Tae Kim. He won his first recital at the 1982 Pusan Competition. Through a scholarship at Han Yang University, he studied violin with John Snow and Taesik Pyoung. He continued his studies in Orchestra, conducting at Claremont Graduate School with Dr. Michael Lamkin.

After graduation, he had his debut conducting the Paduca Symphony Orchestra, which began a busy conducting career. He has been invited to many performances such as the Art Ensemble Orchestra, the La Palma String Ensemble, the La Palma Chamber Orchestra, The United Choir, and The OMC Youth Concert. He also played as a principal member of the Claremont Chamber Orchestra with Dr. Lamkin. In the past, he has served as the principal conductor of the La Palma Chamber Orchestra since 1994, the Oriental Mission Church Youth Orchestra since 1996 and is currently the music director and conductor of the Korean American Youth Symphony since 2006.

Young Jy Park studied the oboe since age 12 in her native Korea, where she graduated from Central University with a music degree. She moved to the United States to further her studies at the University of Southern California, where she received her Master's degree in oboe performance. Since then she has dedicated her life to teaching with local youth and youth orchestras, including the Oriental Mission Church (10 years), and with the Korean American Youth Symphony from 2006.

Jennifer first started playing the clarinet at age nine, in Seoul, South Korea. After immigrating to the United States, she continued studying the clarinet, where she was a scholarship recipient at the University of Southern California, studying with renowned clarinetist Yehuda Gilad. She earned her Bachelor's in Music at USC, and received a Master of Music at the Manhattan School of Music, studying under the tutelage of Mark Nuccio (New York Philharmonic). She has performed at many music festivals, including the Bowdoin Music Festival with Mr. Gilad, and at the Aspen Music Festival and School, where she studied with Joaquin Valdapenas. Jennifer was the Principal clarinetist of the University of Southern California Symphony, as well as, the Manhattan School of Music Philharmonia. Jennifer has her own private music studio, and her students have won numerous awards at various competition and music festivals.

Born in Seoul, Korea, Ohtae Kwon studied at Sunhwa Art High School, where he received the special award at the Sunhwa Chamber competition.

He continued his studies at Yonsei University, where he was the the recipient of the Outstanding Musicians Scholarship, and he was selected to tour with the Seoul Trombone Ensemble as a soloist. He joined the National Police Symphony Orchestra as the principal trombonist at the age of 22, and he organized the National Police Brass Quintet. The National Police Brass Quintet performed over 100 times for orphans and the homeless, and they received commendation from the government for their great services. From 2003, he performed with the Euro Asian Philharmonic, Korean Symphony Orchestra, and the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra.

In 2006, Ohtae embarked on his journey to study in the United States with Dr. Terry Cravens, under a full scholarship at the University of Southern California (USC). He was the principal trombonist of USC's Thornton Symphony Orchestra, LA National Symphony and Southern California Philharmonic, all while he was in graduate school at the University of Southern California where he received the outstanding brass chamber musician award.

In 2008, he was accepted in to the Artist Diploma program, which is considered the most selective and prestigious music program offered by USC's Thornton School of Music, in which the total enrollment in this program is limited to just a single student per year. During his tenure at the Artist Diploma program, he had over 10 solo recitals in California.

In 2011 he won the Beverly Hills audition as the only brass player to be chosen among the audition.

Chloe Yeon Kang was born and raised in Seoul, Republic of Korea. She began to study violin at the age of six. Chloe studied at the University of Southern California (USC), where she received a Doctorate in Musical Art, and a Masters in Music, and also at the Manhattan School of Music for her Bachelor’s Degree in Music. She has studied with Suli Xue, Patinka Kopec, and Grigory Kalinovsky, Charles Avsharian, and Min Yong Lee. Dr. Kang has also studied Baroque Violin with Elizabeth Blumenstock at USC. As a soloist and a chamber musician, she has performed in recitals, symphonies, film recordings, and Early Music ensembles. She has been a jury member for many music festivals and competitions. Currently living in Los Angeles, Dr. Kang is a member of the Toluca Trio and a dedicated teacher whose students have been prizewinners in many competitions.

William Robey is a professional flutist, active in freelance performance and teaching in Los Angeles. He holds a Master of Music in Flute Performance from the University of Southern California, where he studied with Jim Walker. William received his Bachelor of Music at Michigan State University, studying with Richard Sherman. Prior to his collegiate studies, William was a student of Sharon Sparrow of the Detroit Symphony.

William is a chamber music coach for the Azusa Pacific University School of Music. Students from William’s private studio have received awards, including first place, in the Southwestern Youth Music Festival; while others have gone on to study flute in the schools of music at California State University Northridge and California State University Long Beach.

William has performed as a soloist with the Southern California Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as with numerous choral groups in Los Angeles and Orange County. He also performs regularly with local orchestras and for film scores, such as the documentary Beautiful Faces.