Dr. Soo Yeon Kim

Dr. Soo Yeon Kim was born on July 8th, 1958 in Seoul, South Korea. She was the daughter of Yeong Kim and the late Kenneth Kim, and was raised in Seoul until the age of 15. She and her family then moved to Chicago to pursue her passion in music. Soo Yeon passed away peacefully in Katy, Texas on August 16th, 2020 in her home with her family present. Soo Yeon is survived by her daughter, Sophie Kim, her mother, Yeong Kim, her sister, Stacy Kim, and her nephews, Patrick and Phillip Kim.

Soo Yeon received a Bachelor of Music in voice performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, a Master of Music in Voice Performance at Boston University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance and Literature at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

Soo Yeon had a wonderful career as a lyric coloratura soprano that led her to the world’s most prominent stages, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Additionally, she had a significant 30-year teaching career in music education, including at Nazareth College, Wartburg College, and most recently, Blinn College. Through her private studio, she also taught many students across all ages in the Katy community.

She once compared teaching music to gardening—likening it to planting seeds of knowledge to enable students’ talents to blossom: “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but when you see that talent bloom, it’s all worth it.”