Young Artist Competition Final Rounds

Performer Bios

Crystal Kim is a flautist from Texas, where she began her flute studies with Monica Song at the age of 10. She has always loved performance opportunities and has played in many capacities throughout the years, whether it be a community performance, a competition, or a virtual project. She has been named first prize winner of many competitions, including the King’s Peak International Music Competition, the Bonn “Grand Prize Virtuoso” International Music Competition, the Northeast Young Artist Competition, the Dallas Symphonic Festival Winds Competition, the Claire Johnson Flute Soloist Competition, and the Austin Flute Club Young Artist Competition. She has also placed in several other prestigious competitions, such as the MTNA Woodwind Young Artist Competition and the Donna Marie Haire Young Artist Competition.

Crystal has performed as a guest soloist with the Northeast Orchestra and the TMEA-Awarded James Martin High Orchestra in the past, but she most enjoys playing with her peers and fellow musicians in chamber ensemble settings. In 2017, she traveled to Aix-en-Provence with a woodwind quintet formed in her undergraduate years to give concerts and study with the incredible members of the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet. A formative musical experience, this inspired Crystal to continue her performance career pursuing a focus on new music in both traditional and unconventional solo and chamber ensemble settings.

Crystal has performed in masterclasses with many great flautists, including Marina Piccinini, Carol Wincenc, Jim Walker, Cathy Ransom-Karoly, Michael Hasel, Conor Nelson, Lisa Garner Santa, Gloria Yun, Mary Kay Fink, and Shauna Thompson. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, where she studied with Molly Barth, Leslie Fagan, and the late Philip Dikeman, and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree under the tutelage of Lorna McGhee at Carnegie Mellon University.

Kyndahl Britton was born and raised in the Austin area, and now attends college at West Texas A&M University as a music performance major. She started playing flute when she was 9 years old and fell in love with it. Throughout her middle and high school years she made the All-region orchestras and bands, as well as the All-State 6A Symphonic band twice. In addition to playing the flute, she has also played soccer throughout her life and currently plays soccer on the WTAMU Womens' soccer team.