San Francisco Conservatory of Music Appoints New Flute Faculty

Yubeen Kim has been appointed as a professor of flute

Flutist Yubeen Kim, who has been Principal Flute of the San Francisco Symphony since January 2024, has recently been appointed to a faculty position at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Kim's arrival in San Francisco followed a stint as Principal Flute at the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, where he worked from 2016 to 2023.

As a soloist, he has appeared at the Prague Spring Festival, Nimus Festival, Bemus Festival, Festival du Jura, Weiwuying International Music Festival, and Tongyeong International Music Festival.

Kim has also played solo with orchestras including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Bochumer Symphoniker, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, and Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, he performs regularly in Korea with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Korean Chamber Orchestra, and Korean National Symphony Orchestra.

Originally a violinist and pianist, Kim switched to the flute at the age of nine. He studied at the Lyon Conservatory, the Paris Conservatory, and the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin.

"I am extremely honored to join the SFCM faculty and excited to share my experiences with students and bring my vision to this great institution," Kim said. "I am also very passionate about teaching the next generation of music leaders."

"Yubeen Kim is the most exciting and imaginative flutist of his generation," said Jerry Simas, Chair of the SFCM Woodwinds Department. "A winner of international solo competitions and newly appointed principal flutist with the San Francisco Symphony, we are thrilled to welcome him to the SFCM facility where he will inspire our students for years to come."

"To bring such an immense talent as Yubeen on to faculty is a tremendous win for SFCM," said Jonas Wright, dean and chief academic officer at SFCM. "He is the standard for flutists today and that our students get to work with him is very exciting."