Private Cello Lessons with Jonah Kim
Experience the joy of music with private cello lessons by Jonah Kim.
Study with an internationally acclaimed soloist and chamber musician, trained at the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music under legendary cellists János Starker, Orlando Cole, Peter Wiley and Lynn Harrell.
About Cellist Jonah Kim
Jonah Kim is an artist of great charisma and originality, known for the signature sweetness of his tone, which Gramophone described as having "the cosy warmth of a well-loved cashmere sweater." Born in Seoul and raised in New York City, he taught himself the cello by watching VHS tapes of Pablo Casals and received a full scholarship to The Juilliard School's Pre-College Division at age seven. He went on to study with Janos Starker at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he was the first fellow to train with multiple instructors, including Orlando Cole, Peter Wiley and Lynn Harrell.
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Kim made his solo debut with Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 12, and his Kennedy Center debut with Marvin Hamlisch and the National Symphony within the year. He has since performed with orchestras and on prestigious recital stages around the world, partnering with artists such as Van Cliburn winner Jon Nakamatsu, Martin Beaver and Scott Yoo, and appearing on the PBS series Now Hear This.
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In 2021, Jonah founded Trio Barclay, ensemble-in-residence at the Barclay Theatre in Orange County, whose debut album Beyond the Pacific was released on Orchid Classics in January 2026. He is artistic director of the Music Society of San Miguel and founder and director of the San Francisco Music Festival. His recordings on the Delos label include the Rachmaninoff and Barber cello sonatas and Approaching Autumn.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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Music Society of San Miguel — Artistic Director, 2024–Present
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San Francisco Music Festival — Founder & Director
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Trio Barclay — Founder; Ensemble-in-Residence, Barclay Theatre, Orange County, 2021
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Mark Abel: 4.4.2 (Delos) — Recorded A Door Opens with pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi, February 2026
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Beyond the Pacific (Orchid Classics) — Trio Barclay debut album, January 2026
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Approaching Autumn (Delos) — with pianist Robert Koenig, 2021
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Rachmaninoff & Barber Cello Sonatas (Delos) — with pianist Sean Kennard, 2020
CHAMBER MUSIC & COLLABORATIONS
Trio Barclay
• Founded in 2021 with pianist Sean Kennard and Pacific Symphony concertmaster Dennis Kim
• Ensemble-in-residence at the Barclay Theatre in Orange County, premiering a new commission at every home concert
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Curtis Institute of Music
• Chamber fellowship with violinist Joel Link (Dover Quartet) and pianist Yuja Wang, performing the piano trio repertoire extensively
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Collaborators
• Partnered with Van Cliburn winner Jon Nakamatsu, Martin Beaver, Scott Yoo and Chee-Yun
• Multiple cameos on the PBS series Now Hear This
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On Stage With
• Principal members of Orpheus and the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics
​• Members of the Tokyo, Formosa and Dover Quartets
Cello Lesson
Jonah Kim offers private cello lessons at Jinny's Music Studio, sharing an American school of cello playing that reconciles the Italian, German, Russian, Franco-Spanish and Hungarian lineages.
Chamber Music
Jonah's passion for chamber music began at the Curtis Institute of Music, where his piano trio with violinist Joel Link of the Dover Quartet and pianist Yuja Wang performed the trio repertoire extensively.
Recording
Off the stage, one of Jonah's favorite ways to make music is in a recording studio, with albums released on the Delos and Orchid Classics labels.
Watch Jonah perform Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations.
Hear more at jonahcello.com and youtube.com/jonahkimcello.
The Instrument
Jonah's favorite cello is the award-winning "Stella," made in San Francisco by Haide Lin in 2022 and paired with a bow made in Paris in 1904 by Jules Fétique.
He defines a truly American school of cello playing by reconciling the Italian, German, Russian, Franco-Spanish and Hungarian lineages, and makes his home in San Francisco.
