Biography
Ireh Kim (20), a sophomore at Stanford University, is majoring in general biology and music performance and studying percussion under Professor Marty Thenell. Her previous teachers include Aaron McDonald and Samuel Zavaleta.
In 2017, Ireh was named as one of the “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30” by the CBC. She has also won several awards at competitions, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s (VSO) Future of Excellence Competition, the Canadian Music Competition, the VYSO concerto competition, and the Music without Borders Concerto competition. She is also a four-time gold medallist of the Royal Music of Conservatory of Music. In 2018, she made her debut playing Paul Creston’s Concertino for Marimba with the VSO at the Orpheum theater in Vancouver. She has also been featured in performances with other orchestras, including the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, West Coast Symphony Orchestra, and the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra.
In 2020, Ireh was selected as one of the participants of the Juilliard Summer Percussion Seminar and had the opportunity to learn from and play with leading percussionists like Samuel Solomon, Pablo Rieppi, Haruka Fuji, Gregory Zuber, Daniel Druckman, and Joseph Gramley. She also had masterclasses with Evelyn Glennie, a renowned percussionist and a laureate for the Polar Music Prize of 2015. She has also been a six-year member of the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra.
At Stanford, Ireh continues to indulge in music by playing in the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and the Stanford Wind Symphony Ensemble. Outside of music, she loves to play basketball and is a member of the Stanford club ultimate team.
