Meet the Teachers
Musicianship
Laura Walter
Emily Sommermann
Ruth Lin
Han Kim
Violin/Viola
Kim "gave the audience a rich sampling of his versatility. Kim has an expressive temperament: his playing is irresistibly dynamic and colorful. The [program] revealed Kim's sure ear, clean articulation, and maturity of interpretation." CASA Magazine
Violinist Han Soo Kim has performed to critical acclaim in numerous countries on four continents. He has been praised by many audiences around the world for his passion, sensitivity and charisma. His playing is described as a "musical gift of rare beauty" The Korea Times. He performs a diverse mix of musical styles ranging from the standard works to avant-garde contemporary repertoire.
Dr. Kim has concertized extensively as solo performer, duo-recitalist and chamber musician. In the United States, he has performed in some of the nation’s most prominent venues including Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Weill Recital Hall and Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Cutler Majestic Theater, Jordan Hall, Kaufmann Concert Hall, and The Kennedy Center. Performances have also led him to institutions and festivals including Académie Internationale de Courchevel, Boston Conservatory, Columbia University, Le Domaine Forget International Music Festival, The Juilliard School, Longy School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College, Meadowmount School of Music, Morningside Music Bridge, Musicorda, New England Conservatory, and Stony Brook University. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras in the US and abroad performing standard concertos to contemporary world premieres. As a Promessa Records Artist he has released Encore Favori, a solo CD featuring a dozen encores and virtuosic showpieces. He will be recording his next album with Spice Classics in 2026.
His passion for sharing musical knowledge and experience to young musicians has taken him to many different parts of the world. As an avid educator, he has given lectures, workshops and masterclasses nationally and internationally on technique, innovative practice methods and performance. He devotes a considerable amount of time to traveling for clinics as well as maintaining an internationally active recording and performance schedule. He has served as Chair of Adjudicators of New York International Music Competition and string adjudicator of Santa Barbara Music Club Scholarship Awards. At Westmont College, he is Head of Strings and teaches alongside his wife, Joanne Kim, a clarinetist. He is Founder and Director of Westmont Academy for Young Artists and is a teaching artist at InterHarmony International Music Festival in Italy.
Dr. Kim has earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in violin performance under a fellowship grant. His Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in violin performance are from The Juilliard School where he was a merit scholarship recipient. His influential teachers and mentors include Roman Totenberg, Sally Thomas and Pamela Frank. He has worked with distinguished chamber music artists including Emerson, Guarneri, Juilliard, and Orion String Quartets.
Joanne Kim
Clarinet and Director
Clarinetist Joanne Kim has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer in renowned venues including Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Roy Thomson Hall, Granada Theatre, Dolby Theatre, and Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Her performing career began in her late teens when she was awarded the distinguished Stamas Scholarship Fund from the New York Philharmonic, which provided her with a professional clarinet to support her studies and performances in New York City.
Dr. Kim has performed with ensembles including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Korean Chamber Orchestra, New Jersey Philharmonic Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, and Los Angeles Ballet.
She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Clarinet Performance from the Manhattan School of Music as a fellowship recipient under the tutelage of Mark Nuccio. She also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Mannes College and a Master of Music degree, with merit scholarship, from the Orchestral Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music.
Dr. Kim is Director of Westmont Academy for Young Artists, a pre-college program within the Westmont College Music Department. She also serves on the clarinet faculty at Westmont College and Santa Barbara City College.
She frequently performs with her husband, violinist Dr. Han Soo Kim. In 2026, they will be featured on the Spice Classics album Romances alongside pianist Constantine Finehouse. Recorded in Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West, the album features works by Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Marie Elisabeth von Sachsen-Meiningen.
Hyo Jin Lee
Piano
Pianist Hyo Jin Lee pursued her music education in the United States starting in high school, studying with the world-renowned pedagogue Wha Kyung Byun and Russell Sherman, and continued to train at New England Conservatory of Music. Dr. Lee completed both her Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and Graduate Diploma at the Conservatory with academic honors. She was also a recipient of the prestigious Adele Bramson Ganick Endowed Scholarship for demonstrating excellence in piano performance. She then went on to complete Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance, at State University of New York, Stony Brook, with Gilbert Kalish.
Starting her professional debut at age 13 with Seoul Sinfonietta, Pianist Hyo Jin Lee has performed widely to critical acclaim throughout the United States, France, Australia and Korea. She performed as a soloist with the W Philharmonic, Korean Symphony, Gangnam Symphony, Korea Senior Symphony, Cheongju City Philharmonic Orchestra and Los Angeles Doctors Symphony.
In addition, Dr. Lee gave her recitals at Auditorium Gilles de la Rocque, Sydney Steinway Hall, Harvard Sanders Theater, Jordan Hall, South Hampton Cultural Center, Staller Center, Seoul Arts Center, Kumho Art Hall, Sejong Cultural Center. And she has worked with musicians such as Emerson Quartet, Colin Carr, Nicholas Cords, Lawrence Lesser, and Miriam Fried, to name a few.
Dr. Lee is currently a collaborative pianist at Westmont College and has a wide range of teaching experience at institutions such as Seoul National University, Korea National University of Arts, Yewon school, Seoul arts high school and Music Academy at Seoul Arts Center.
Lydia Plaut
Violin/Viola, Suzuki
Lydia Plaut is an experienced and passionate violin and viola teacher. She is committed to helping students of all ages and backgrounds find joy, confidence, and community through music. She was a faculty member at The Music Settlement in Cleveland, OH, and at the Cuyahoga Community College Creative Arts Academy. She also taught for several years at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. She is a registered teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas in all violin units and select viola units.
An avid performer, Lydia was a violist with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also performed with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Akron Symphony Orchestra, and as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, Festival Napa Valley, and Madeline Island Chamber Music. In 2026, she won first place in the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation Adult Instrumental division.
Lydia began her musical studies as a Suzuki violin student in Pasadena, California. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance with a concentration in Music-in-Education from the New England Conservatory and holds Master’s degrees in Viola Performance and Violin Suzuki Pedagogy from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her former teachers include Jeffrey Irvine, Mai Motobuchi, and Gina Coletti.