Winner of top prizes at the 2019 Queen Elisabeth (3rd Prize), 2018 Premio Paganini (3rd Prize), and 2016 Sendai (2nd Prize) international violin competitions, American violinist Stephen Kim is internationally recognized as a leading artist of the younger generation, praised for his musical authenticity and sensitivity. 

Stephen has appeared as a soloist with the Brussels Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival orchestras, and the Curtis and Juilliard orchestras among many others. 

A passionate chamber musician, Stephen has performed and collaborated together with Isabelle Faust, Christian Tetzlaff, Nobuko Imai, Tabea Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit, Gary Hoffmann, Jörg Widmann, and musicians from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Philadelphia Orchestra among others. Along with recent recitals and chamber music performances at Wigmore Hall in London, Konzerthaus Berlin, and Seoul Arts Center, Stephen has also performed at the Marlboro, Kronberg, Seoul, Krzyżowa, Ravinia,  Kingston, Caramoor, and Verbier festivals. This December, he will give his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in New York. 

Stephen is also an avid performer of contemporary music and has given numerous premieres of new works by living composers. He stunned the Belgian audience and listeners worldwide at the Queen Elisabeth Competition with his performance of the final round commissioned work, Kimmo Hakola’s “Fidl”, a twenty-minute concerto given to the finalists seven days before the performance, by heart. Stephen also performed Steven Mackey’s “Beautiful Passing” concerto by heart in its New York premiere at Carnegie Hall. In collaboration with Korean composer Shinuh Lee, Stephen recorded an album, “Till Dawn”, featuring various works for violin by the composer and including two new pieces, the second violin sonata and first caprice for solo violin, both written for and dedicated to Stephen. The album was released by Sony Classical in 2021. 

Stephen studied with Shmuel Ashkenasi, Joseph Silverstein, and Aaron Rosand at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he received his Bachelor’s degree, with Hyo Kang at the Juilliard School, where he received his Master’s degree and Artist Diploma, and with Antje Weithaas at the Kronberg Academy in Germany, where he was a Young Soloist in the Professional Studies program. Stephen is based in New York City.