STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
Shane Kim’s 1784 violin was crafted the same year the Confederation Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris to end the American Revolutionary War.
But he doesn’t treat it with kid gloves.
He plays it vigorously, shredding it with his bow.
Kim, one of the newest members of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, made a surprise visit to The Senior Connection on Tuesday, lovingly playing his cherished instrument as he told his audience the story behind “Meditation” from “Thais,” which he called “an opera of transformation and redemption.”
Kim, who looks 25 but is actually 40, came to Sun Valley this year from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra where he has played violin since 2012.
He was in good company—the Sun Valley Summer Symphony featured six musicians this summer from its Toronto counterpart. And another member of the orchestra often comes to Sun Valley to play, as well.
“They’ve all talked about coming here and, without fail, everyone has mentioned the community and how it feels like one big family,” he said.
Kim came to Sun Valley with his Italian-made violin in tow. His predecessor at the symphony played it for 40 years before retiring. His aunt purchased it for him to play.
He keeps a small humidifier in his violin case and uses a bigger one in his bedroom while here to keep the violin from drying out in the high desert mountain air.
“The fact that it’s so old makes it sound so much better than a violin made 10 years ago,” he said. “Violins age well, like wine, over time. As they expand and contract, as they’re played, as they vibrate, the sound grows richer.”
Like his fellow musicians, Kim quickly got caught up in mountain biking some of the 509 miles of biking trails surrounding Sun Valley. He also hiked Baldy and even some of the ridgelines behind the Indian Creek home of his hosts Ben Frank and Marie Gallo.
He had no shortage of energy to burn, given the heaping helpings of pasta and pecan pie Gallo plied him with.
“For me to come here, to be in the mountains, is so refreshing,” said Kim, who grew up in Toronto where he received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto. “There’s no hiking in Toronto. You’re right in the city so you spend your time on the subway or driving.”
In exchange for a working vacation, Shane performed in at least 10 concerts.
“My favorite was probably the opening night when we played Tchaikovsky’s ‘Symphony No. 4 in F Minor,’ ” he said. “It was my first chance to be outside and look out over the audience in the Pavilion and on the lawn. And all the musicians were happy to be back here in Sun Valley. The energy was good.”
Twenty-two members of The Senior Connection boarded the Senior Connection’s vans to the Pavilion to see the symphony perform the score to “Star Wars” as the 1977 blockbuster played across the screen. It was the most people The Connection has ever taken to the symphony, said Connection volunteer Leslie Silva.
And others, like Al and Birdie Heath, who just celebrated their 68th anniversary, would have gone if the bus seats hadn’t been spoken for.
Performing the score to “Stars Wars” provided Kim with a chance to catch little nuances that he never noticed watching the movie with popcorn in hand.
“It was amazing the way they wove the Jedi theme with the Princess Leia theme,” he said. “It’s just an amazing score and so iconic. You hear the music and you immediately think of the movie.”
Kim also took the stage with cellist Jeremiah Shaw and viola player Marylene Gingras-Roy as they performed Dohnanyi’s “Serenade for String Trio in C Major” during Monday’s Chamber Concert.
He noted that it’s challenging to perform music with musicians he’s never worked with before, especially after just one rehearsal.
“But it’s always fun to play with other musicians, particularly in an intimate setting like we had Monday night, because you see people’s different styles. I had played that piece before but it sounded different as I played it with different players. Before we took the stage, we had discussions about things like: ‘Is this an aggressive section or a sweet section?’And we played it this time with a faster tempo than I’ve played it before.”
Kim has appeared with other symphonies like the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and performed at the Aspen, Spoleto-Charleston and Lakes Area music festivals.
He hopes to return to Sun Valley next year. And, maybe one day bring his wife and children, ages 7, 6 and 4. They were at summer camps while Daddy was in Sun Valley this year.
“This is different from playing in an enclosed performance hall where everyone’s wearing suits,” he said. “Because it’s summer and everyone’s outdoor s, this is like a fun summer vacation. I like that people are in shorts. It’s more relaxing.”