william kim,
principal
Recently appointed Principal Timpani of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, William Kim is completing his Master of Music in Percussion Performance at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where he is also Principal Timpani of the Indiana University Philharmonic Orchestra, studying with John Tafoya, Joseph Gramley, and Kevin Bobo. William also completed undergraduate studies at Western University’s Don Wright Faculty of Music, studying with Dr. Jill Ball. His many accolades include the Platinum Medal at the 2023 Grand Maestro International Music Competition, Best Professional Percussion Player and Gold Medal at the 2023 Amadeus International Music Awards, and Third Grand Prize at the Chicago International Music Competition (Professional Category – all instruments). William has received invitations to perform at the Festival of the Sound in Ontario, Canada with Beverley Johnston and James Sommerville, as well as at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada. He was also an invited participant to the PRISMA Festival & Academy, where he worked with Bill Linwood, and Rice University’s International Timpani Intensive, where he received mentorship from leading orchestral timpanists including Jauvon Gilliam, Michael Israelievitch, Joseph Pereira, Leonardo Soto, Matthew Strauss, and Nick Woud. Outside music, he enjoys chess and cheering for his favorite hockey team, the Winnipeg Jets.