Skip to main content

Chester County Press

Violinist to perform benefit concert for youth centers

04/07/2015 12:45PM ● By Richard Gaw


While at first glance it may be peculiar to see that concertmaster and violinist David Kim's website includes an entire section entitled, "Beating Jetlag," an entire soliloquy on how to prepare for a long plane flight, its inclusion begins to make complete sense when reading his exhaustive performance and teaching schedule.

Kim, who has been the Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 1999, is currently booked through April 2016, which will see him perform and teach in several countries around the world, as well as several states. On April 17, Kim will be taking his violin to the stage at Kennett High School, to perform a benefit concert for The Garage Community and Youth Center, beginning at 7 p.m.

"An Evening with David Kim" will include a short overview of the Garage’s programs and the awarding of student scholarships. Two student speakers – Tony Gomez from Kennett High School and Juan Hernandez from Avon Grove High School – will provide the audience with an introduction about the impact the centers have had on their lives. Kim and an accompanist will then perform, which will be followed by an exclusive meet and greet at 8:30 pm.

Throughout its history, the Garage has become synonymous for not only its volunteer-based centers in Kennett Square and West Grove that have helped provide direction to hundreds of area youth, but for their "out-of-the-box" originality in planning benefit events – from themed dinners to a concert by the internationally-known rock band Dr. Dog. Most have been held at the centers, but this year, Executive Director Kristin Proto said she and her fellow organizers wanted to explore ways to bring the benefit to a wider audience.

"This benefit is larger in capacity and in name recognition than we've had in the past, so it's definitely bringing us to a new level of our benefit," Proto said. "We've had a lot of events in house at the centers, and this is something new for us, having our benefit at Kennett High School, which is one of our bigger community partners. We're stepping up our game a bit on this to bring something different to the table. We also want to make it more of a community event. This is something we thought we would want the larger community to have access to."

Connecting with Kim, Proto said, was made through a supporter of the Garage who is also friends with the concertmaster. "I reached out to David about what we do, and the possibilities might be for partnership, and he offered to do this concert on our behalf," she said.

Born in Carbondale, Illinois in 1963, Kim started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight, and later received his bachelor's and master's degrees from The Juilliard School.

As well as his work with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Kim performs with numerous orchestras around the world. Highlights of Mr. Kim's 2015 season include a Visiting Professorship at the University of Texas at Austin's Butler School of Music; a return as concertmaster of the All-Star Orchestra in New York City and on PBS stations across the United States; a return to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for an annual residency; a return to L'Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne in France; a June tour of Korea; and serving as jury member at the Sarasate International Violin Competition in Pamplona, Spain.

Tickets for the concert can be purchased on line at www.eventbrite.com/e/the-garage-benefit-concert-featuring-violinist-and-concertmaster-david-kim-tickets or in person and via mail at the Kennett Garage on 115 S. Union Street, Kennett Square 19348. Pre-sale tickets will be available until April 12 at 11:59 pm. Adult tickets are $35 for general admission and $50 for general admission with meet & greet. Student tickets (high school and under) are $10 for general admission and $15 for general admission with meet and greet. A limited number of general admission tickets will also be available at the door for $45.

To learn more about becoming a volunteer at the Garage Community and Youth Center, visit www.garageyouthcenter.org/volunteer.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail [email protected].