Kim is a recent graduate of New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Kim Kashkashian and Carol Rodland. He shared second prize at last year's William Primrose Memorial Scholarship Competition and took second prize at the 2004 Irving M. Klein International String Competition. He was recently selected to participate in CMS II, the young artists' program of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

The Ô£2,000 second prize at the Tertis Viola Competition went to Peijun Xue; Ewa Grzwyna took the Ô£1,500 third prize.

The awards were given following the competition finals on August 19 in Port Erin on the Isle of Man (UK).