Orchestra Director

Young Keun Kim is currently the Director of Orchestras at Johns Creek High School in Johns Creek, Georgia. Prior to his tenure at Johns Creek, he taught at Camp Creek Middle School (1988-1992), Riverwood High School (1992-1997), and Centennial High School (1997-2009). He is a graduate of Georgia State University, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree (B.M.) and Master of Music Education degree (M.M.Ed.).

Under his direction, Young Kim’s groups have performed four times at the prestigious Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago—once with the Centennial High School Orchestra (2005) and three times with the Johns Creek High School Orchestra (2012, 2017, 2022). Soloists with his orchestras at the Midwest Clinic have included Chris Martin (Principal Trumpet, New York Philharmonic) and William Pu (Former Associate Concertmaster, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra).

In addition, Young Kim’s groups have performed seven times at the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in Savannah, Georgia (2000, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2020, 2023). Other notable performances include the 58th Biennial (MENC) Music Educators National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee (2002), and the special 2012 Centennial Celebration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

Young Kim’s groups have also traveled and performed internationally, participating in six European concert tours (2001, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2019, 2024). His orchestras have performed in Austria (Salzburg, Vienna, Eisenstadt), Germany (Munich), Italy (Rome, Perugia, Florence, Assisi, Cremona, Padua, Venice), Hungary (Budapest), France (Nice, Avignon), and the Czech Republic (Prague). His orchestras have also performed numerous times at Symphony Hall, Spivey Hall, and the Georgia Governor’s Mansion. For the past thirty-plus years, his groups have consistently earned SUPERIOR ratings at the GMEA District V Orchestra Large-Group Performance Evaluation.

Young Kim is an active clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator throughout the United States and abroad. He was a member of the prestigious Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) faculty for four summers (1998, 1999, 2000, and 2003). In addition to guest conducting All-State and Honor Orchestras, he has conducted many summer music camps, such as the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in Interlochen, MI, the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) music camp, and the University of Georgia Summer Music Camp.

Young Kim has also been active in the Korean-American community in the Atlanta area. He founded the Korean-American Youth Center Orchestra/KAYCO (청소년 센타 오케스트라) in 1994 and conducted this orchestra for four years. Members of KAYCO included some of the top middle, high school, and college student musicians in the Atlanta area. This group was invited to perform at various important functions, including the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games at Woodruff Park. Young Kim has also directed the Korean-American Chamber Orchestra, which included the concertmaster and principal string players of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO) and college students from Georgia State University.

He has served as the GMEA District V Orchestra Chair, organizing chairman for the District V Orchestra Large Group Performance Evaluation, and organizing chairman for the Fulton County High School Honor Orchestra. Young Kim has also served as the National High School Honor Orchestra (NHSHO) Representative/Chair for Georgia. He currently serves as the certified Head Adjudicator for the GMEA Orchestra Large Group Performance Evaluation.

In 2006, Young Kim was selected as the “2006 Georgia Music Educator of the Year” by the Georgia Music Educators Association. He is listed in the 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2006 editions of “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.” He was also selected and recognized as the “Expert Teacher Cadre-7” in the Fulton County Schools system in 1997 and participated in its leadership program.

Young Kim was named the “S.T.A.R. Teacher” of Johns Creek High School in 2010, 2012, and 2018 and “Teacher of the Year” at Johns Creek High School in 2011-2012. Recently, he received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the GA ASTA (American String Teachers Association).

His current professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA), American String Teachers Association (ASTA), and Kappa Delta Pi, an International Honor Society in Education. Young Kim is listed in the 2006-2007 editions of the National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals.

In addition to being the Director of Orchestras at Johns Creek High School, he is also the Co-Conductor of the Fulton County Youth Orchestra.

• Click here to meet the director (2012 interview)