Kyu-Young Kim, at right, is stepping down as artistic director of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, seen here performing at the 2021 Bravo! Vail festival in Colorado. Kim will remain as the orchestra’s principal violin. Photo by Tomas Cohen/SPCO.
In Friday’s (5/3) Star-Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul), Jenna Ross writes, “The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s beloved artistic director is stepping down. Kyu-Young Kim will exit that role at the end of this season—but will continue as principal violin, the chamber orchestra announced Friday. ‘Due to recent organizational decisions and shifts in priorities, I am no longer able to fulfill my dual role as artistic director and principal violin of the SPCO,’ Kim said in a statement. ‘I want to thank my colleagues, patrons of the SPCO, and our beloved audience for the opportunity to contribute to the artistic evolution of the SPCO in truly significant ways over the past 11 years.’… The SPCO said then that it was the first time a playing member had taken the artistic helm of a major American orchestra…. ‘The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra respects Kyu’s decision,’ a spokesman said by email Friday. ‘We appreciate his remarkable contributions over the years as artistic director and we are grateful he has chosen to remain with the Orchestra.’… The musicians’ union at the SPCO released its own statement Friday, saying that they were ‘devastated that the actions of the orchestra’s management have caused Kyu to resign from his role as artistic director.’ ”
