Skyline High School senior Minji Kim is celebrating two outstanding achievements in her musical journey. Minji has been selected to join the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) for a second consecutive year, and has also secured a coveted spot in the highly selective Columbia-Juilliard program for her undergraduate studies.
Minji will be part of NYO-USA’s historic debut in Japan as part of an Asia tour including performances in Osaka, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, and Seoul. The Seoul performance holds special significance for Kim, as it represents an opportunity to serve as a youth musician ambassador in her home country of Korea.
It’s a full-circle moment to represent the United States in Korea, Minji said.
“Music has always been part of my life,” she says. “My mom says I enjoyed expressing myself through music. I’d try to play her piano, or nod along to the songs she played. Being given a violin —an instrument that fit me perfectly—was like being given a second voice to express myself with.”
Following her summer with NYO-USA, Minji will begin her studies in the Columbia-Juilliard program, a highly competitive joint program that selects only 10 to 12 students each year. To qualify for this elite opportunity, Minji had to gain separate acceptance to four programs: Columbia University, Columbia University for the Columbia-Juilliard program, Juilliard School for the Bachelor of Music, and the Juilliard School for the BCJ (Barnard-Columbia-Juilliard) program.
She says she’s looking forward to Columbia’s core curriculum, which aims to “provide all students with wide-ranging perspectives, a deeper understanding of history, and critical and creative thinking skills.”
“And on the Juilliard side, I am excited I have the opportunity to study violin performance and chamber music with the world-class faculty,” she says.
Minji attended Del Mar Heights Elementary School and Carmel Valley Middle School in San Diego.
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