Violinist David Kim was one of the prizewinners of the 1986 International Tchaikovsky Competition, one of the most prestigious events in the international music community held once every four years. Even with this extraordinary achievement, he had a difficult time getting a job in an orchestra. Now, as Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, David has partnered with Cairn University to create a unique institute to help aspiring violinists master what it takes to not only win an orchestra position, but also to survive and thrive musically, emotionally, and spiritually.
If you haven’t had a chance, I’d like to invite you to listen to my interview with David Kim in episode 2. What makes getting a job in an orchestra unique is that a musician’s resume doesn’t really matter much - it all depends on how a musician plays in an audition, behind a screen for a panel of musicians from the orchestra. The screen is designed to ensure anonymity, but playing for an impersonal audience you can’t see or hear and having your career depend on a performance lasting anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes can be one of the most frustrating and terrifying experiences for any musician. Despite David Kim’s incredible talent, he soon found that playing auditions required a completely different skill set when he lost the first 5 orchestra auditions he attempted. Now, as Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, David has collaborated with Cairn University to create a special program to give musicians the critical professional as well as life skills they will need but - surprisingly - are not taught in most music schools.
Links
David Kim Orchestral Institute at Cairn University