Lysander Piano Trio Announces New Cellist

Cellist James Kim will succeed Michael Katz in the group as of this year

Founded at The Juilliard School in 2009, the Lysander Trio is dedicated to presenting innovative programming and uncovering lesser-known works from the past to the present. 

Its newest member, the Korean cellist James Kim has now joined the trio’s original members, violinist Itamar Zorman and pianist Liza Stepanova. 

He succeeds Michael Katz, who started playing in the trio in 2010 and is leaving to join the Philadelphia Orchestra in April 2025; during Katz’s tenure, the trio created two commercial recordings, toured over 100 concerts around the world, and won competitions including the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition. 

Kim made his debut with the Lysander Trio in January 2025 at the University of Georgia in Athens, where both Stepanova and Kim are on the faculty of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. 

An upcoming performance on February 9 will see the Trio collaborate with Franklin Pond Chamber Music in Atlanta to present an educational workshop and concert. 

More projects will involve a new concert program with visual artist Kevork Mourad, a collaboration with the Argentine bandoneonist JP Jofre, and a tour of the US Southeast, among other engagements. 

“I am delighted to join the Lysander Piano Trio in future concerts and projects,” Kim expressed. “Our rehearsals produce a joy I look forward to sharing with audiences. Our pursuit of bringing music to life through meaning and conversation embodies my ideal life as a musician, so I am immensely excited to start this new chapter.” 

Praised by The New York Times for his “admirable purity of tone and accuracy,” Kim has appeared as soloist with the Boston Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Wallonie Royal Chamber, and Juilliard Orchestra working with conductors including David Zinman, Michael Sanderling, Benjamin Zander, and more. 

His solo recitals have been presented at Weill Hall, Seoul Arts Center, Greene Space, Kumho Art Hall, Seoul National University, and UGA Performing Arts Center, and his music has been broadcasted on the NPR and WQXR radio stations. 

Also a Juilliard graduate, Kim’s achievements include winning the 2006 David Popper International Cello Competition and 2012 Salon de Virtuosi’s Sony Career Grant, and becoming a laureate of the 2015 Isang Yun International Cello Competition and 2024 Naumburg International Cello Competition.

“It is a bittersweet day. We are grateful to Michael for fifteen years of adventures on the road and for getting to know the cornerstones of the piano trio literature inside and out through many performances with him,” Stepanova and Zorman said in the press release. “We thank him for these many years of joyful music-making and are certainly wishing him all the best for his next chapter with the Philadelphia Orchestra. 

“At the same time, we are very excited to welcome James to our group,” they continued. “Reading with him late in the fall, and starting to perform together this January, it was clear right away that this was an excellent musical fit. We think about phrasing, colors, and making chamber music in a similar way. And, he just sounds fantastic! We are looking forward to working together from our joint homebase at the University of Georgia in Athens, which will allow for in-depth rehearsing as well as some exciting recording opportunities!”