Hailed by The New York Times for her “inexhaustible virtuosity,” clarinetist Yoonah Kim enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and educator. She first came to international attention as the winner of the 2016 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, becoming the first solo clarinetist to win the competition in nearly 30 years. She is also the first woman to win first prize at the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition and a first-prize winner of the George Gershwin International Competition.
Kim has appeared as soloist with the Maui Chamber Orchestra, New York Classical Players, DuPage Symphony Orchestra, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, and other ensembles, with performances throughout North America and Asia. She has been featured as a headlining artist at the 2026 International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest in Incheon, South Korea, and has appeared at major festivals including La Jolla Music Society SummerFest, Moab Music Festival, Marlboro Music Festival, Hawaii Chamber Music Festival, Bravo! Vail, and the Thessaloniki Festival.
An active advocate for both standard and contemporary repertoire, Kim has recorded Eric Nathan’s Double Concerto for Clarinet and Violin with violinist Stefan Jackiw, and Samuel Adler’s Arcos Concerto with the New York Classical Players. As an orchestral musician, she has performed as guest principal clarinet with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Albany Symphony, and Princeton Symphony Orchestra.
Kim has given masterclasses at institutions and festivals including The Juilliard School, Juilliard Pre-College, the International Clarinet Association, New York University, Pepperdine University, Mannes School of Music, Michigan State University, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Seattle Youth Symphony, and in Seoul, South Korea.
She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music from The Juilliard School, a Bachelor of Music from Mannes School of Music, and is an alumna of Ensemble Connect, a highly selective two-year fellowship program under the joint auspices of Carnegie Hall, The Weill Institute, and The Juilliard School. Kim currently serves on the clarinet faculty at New York University and is a Vandoren Artist.
