Bora Kim

Violin, Piano

An amazing young virtuoso equally talented at the piano and the violin. Now 16, Bora has been playing with the festival for several years. When she was 12 and playing a violin solo at a festival concert, the young pianist also slated to play a solo did not appear. Festival organizers were frantic. Bora quietly went up to the announcer and said that, if he wanted her to, she could play the pianist's piece as well. And she did.

Recently Bora won the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, and next season she will be giving a concert with the TSO.

Sixteen-year-old Bora Kim already has many prestigious awards for both piano and violin from many competitions. As first prize winner of this year's Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra concerto competition, Bora will perform as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in their 2009-10 season at Roy Thompson Hall. As well, she placed first in the Strings Open Level of the 2009 Provincial Finals Competition (OMFA) and will be representing Ontario in the National Music Festival held in Saskatoon in August. Other recent achievements include winning first prize in the Academy Symphony Orchestra concerto competition (Royal Conservatory of Music), first prize in the Strings Trophy Finals at the 2009 Kiwanis Music Festival of Greater Toronto and first prize of the 2008 Canadian Music Competitions. Bora's violin teacher is Atis Bankas. She studied piano with Marina Geringas, and currently is studying with John Perry and David Louie. Bora is a scholarship student for both instruments in the Young Artists Performance Academy at Glenn Gould School - the Royal Conservatory of Music. As well, she is currently the Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and Academy Symphony Orchestra of the Royal Conservatory of Music. Bora has played for masterclasses with renowned violinists Zvi Zeitlin, Victor Danchenko, Almita Vamos, Andres Cardenes, James Ehnes, and Midori, and renowned pianists Marc Durand and David Wehr. In addition, Bora received the only "2007 Theory Gold Medal" with the Performance Associateship Diploma (ARCT) in Piano for receiving the highest mark in Canada among all the performance ARCT and Teacher's ARCT recipients. Bora has performed as a soloist with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Sinfonietta, and the Oakville Chamber Orchestra. Recently, she performed a solo piano recital at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (Canadian Opera Company), and was invited as a special guest for a live performance interview on both instruments for Toronto's Classical 96.3 FM. As well, she performed at the 2007 Niagara International Chamber Music Festival Season Opening Gala Concert and made her debut solo recital at age 13 at the Niagara International Chamber Music Festival, performing on both instruments. Other concerts include at the Royal Occasion '2006 (hosted by the Royal Conservatory of Music), the Toronto Centre for the Arts (George Weston Recital Hall), the Carlu, the Living Arts Centre (Hammerson Hall), the Rose Theatre in Brampton, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, Barrie's "Colours of Music Festival," and at the Canadian Broadcasting Center's "Glenn Gould Studio" Concert Series(four times). Also, Bora has had a very successful Concert Tour to Jamaica on both instruments. Bora has a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Martial Arts(Tae Kwon Do) and she also enjoys synchronized swimming.