GRSMA: Where did you grow up, and were you part of a musical family?

 

Dominique Kim: I was born in Sacramento, California, but my family eventually moved to San Diego, which is where I began my musical adventures. My mom played a little piano when she was younger and studied traditional Korean dance in college before she moved to the states. My younger sister plays violin, and since we both played piano we used to play a lot of recitals together. 

 

Thomas Hubel: I grew up in Mountain View, California, about 45 minutes south of San Francisco. I began playing trumpet at age 10 out of a strong desire to be like my older sister and my dad, who have always been phenomenal and inspirational trumpet players to me. Today they’re both engineers by trade but play regularly in community bands. My mom, a cellist, was a music teacher during my youth, and my younger sister also paved a path as a fantastic sax/woodwind player. Part of coming home for the holidays guarantees a fair amount of Arban’s duets, busking, and sometimes our own “experimental" arrangements.

 

GRSMA: Tell us about your musical studies. Where did you receive your training to win an audition for the Grand Rapids Symphony (GRS)?

 

Thomas: I received my undergraduate degree from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music in central California and my Master’s degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. I attended numerous summer festivals during my time as a college student and was a regular member with the Des Moines Metro Opera, Chicago Brass Band, & Chicago Wind Symphony at the time of my relocation to Michigan.

 

Dominique: I studied in the Boston area. During the Harvard portion of the Harvard/NEC Dual Degree program, I fell in love with playing in orchestra and opera pits. Every student group on campus, including the orchestra and opera, was student run, so I also had the chance to gain experience in the administrative side of things. After finishing the Dual Degree program, I wanted more conservatory training since I spent the past 4 years keeping up with schoolwork and barely practicing. So I stayed another year at NEC and did a Graduate Diploma before pursuing another graduate degree from the Rice University Shepherd School of Music, which has a very strong orchestra program.

 

GRSMA: Who are among your musical mentors and heroes?

 

Dominique: I feel like most people say their first piano teacher changed their life, but in my case it was my second piano teacher, Dana Burnett, who pulled me out of my shell and helped me actually enjoy playing the piano and making music. And of course I am indebted to my legendary flute teachers, Paula Robison and Leone Buyse, as well as the late Larry Rachleff, to whom I owe much of my orchestral musicianship.  

 

Thomas: For me, my musical heroes are my parents, my sisters, and countless wonderful teachers and conductors along the way. 

 

GRSMA: Who are your favorite composers?

 

Thomas: My favorite composers to perform (as a heavily biased brass player) include Mahler, Wagner, and Stravinsky. More broadly, though, I’ve always loved Scarlatti for his brilliant piano sonatas, as well as Messiaen and Richard Strauss.

 

Dominique: To name just a few would be Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Debussy, Ravel, and Puccini.

 

GRSMA: If you weren't a musician, what other career path would you have taken?

 

Dominique: If I were better at math and spatial reasoning, I would have loved to become an architect or engineer! (If we lived in the olden times, I maybe would have wanted to become an inventor.) I would also love working in a museum, curating programs for the public. 

 

Thomas: As a kid, I loved creative writing and journalism, paired with my obsession with cars and automotive technology. I loved collecting print magazines (back when those existed) and would read & save columns by my favorite writers such as Harry Metcalfe for “EVO” and Jonny Lieberman for “Motor Trend.” So I often think I would have loved to be an automotive journalist. 

 

GRSMA: What are your hobbies or interests?

 

Thomas: I love outdoor activities like running and pickle ball, plus following professional sports such as baseball, soccer, and pro cycling. If I have time and the weather permits, I’ll usually be out on my bike in search of nice roads and good hills to climb. I am also an avid book collector (a.k.a. I buy new books before I finish what I’m reading) with some of my favorite authors including Toni Morrison, Stephen King, James Baldwin, and Tom Clancy.

 

Dominique: I love cooking and baking (mostly when I’m stressed and busy and have no business making an entire meal from scratch, down to the tortillas). I also enjoy camping and recently got back into figure skating!  

 

GRSMA: You both relocated to Grand Rapids two years ago. How have you adjusted to living in West Michigan?

 

Dominique: I absolutely love West Michigan! It’s so beautiful and the air feels so clean and crisp. I love the feeling of the big small-town, especially when I run into symphony subscribers in town!  And I finally mastered maneuvering the College Avenue exit off of 196! (but 131 still scares me).