About

 Violist, Educator and Entrepreneur Kim Foster proudly wears multiple professional hats and has forged a path that fiercely represents an alternative, independent career model for 21st century classical musicians. She enjoys an active freelance presence in New York City, runs a private viola studio for adult amateur violists, and has recently added to her portfolio higher education administration as a program manager in career services at the Juilliard School.

As violist, Kim’s most recent performances consist of appearances with The New Jersey Symphony, The Palm Beach Opera, and the New York City Ballet. Previously she served as Principal violist of the Allentown, PA Symphony and as Acting Assistant Principal of the Albany Symphony. A highly accomplished chamber musician, she has been a frequent guest artist with the Alaria Chamber Ensemble at Weill Recital Hall. In 2017, she performed the Brahms Clarinet Quintet with renowned violinist Shlomo Mintz in Port Washington, NY. In 2019, Kim performed the Rebecca Clarke sonata for the Yale School of Music Alumni Reunion in New Haven, CT, to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the work and in celebration of the 50 year anniversary of coeducation at Yale College. Kim plays viola with Camerata Virtuosi NY—a group presenting curated chamber concerts in rural SW Virginia each spring. Currently, Kim is working on her first solo recording of 20th century works by women composers and is aiming for release by the end of 2024.

Kim has been teaching for over 20 years in the realms of adult amateur chamber music, through the independent school system as a middle school strings program instructor and director, as a private teacher for students of all ages at the community music school she founded in central NJ, and currently runs a viola studio based in Manhattan. Her online course, ‘Developing Inner Pulse and Rhythm’ focuses on teaching musicians skills that develop the feeling sense of pulse in order to have ‘a better sense of rhythm.’ Her educational mission centers on helping violists develop technical and musical skills in support of developing curiosity and greater confidence, facilitating a positive bond with one’s instrumental performance and practice.

A staunch advocate for entrepreneurial careers, Kim strives to educate and support musicians defining their own pathways through their own creative journeys. Her own skills have been honed through years of DIY professional music business projects, cultivating over time a deep knowledge of the skills needed for sustainable careers. As a certified positive psychology based life coach, Her approach combines lived experience with skills and interventions that develop individuals in a holistic manner through addressing self discovery and artistic career development together. Areas of expertise include mindset, life and career balance, managing performance anxiety, and self actualization. Kim works in the Alan D Marks Center for Entrepreneurship and Community Engagement at the Juilliard School as part of the Hire Juilliard Performers program, a program that teaches students and alumni business management skills through booking performances for both private and corporate events. 

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