WELCOME
to our Six New Musicians
GRSMA has some new faces this season, and we extend a warm welcome to them!
Double bassist RYAN BASSETT is thrilled to be joining the Grand Rapids Symphony. Originally from central Pennsylvania, Ryan holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Penn State and performance certificates from Carnegie Mellon University. He has been a member of the Sarasota Opera since 2020 and the West Virginia Symphony since 2022. Ryan has also performed as a substitute with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Richmond Symphony Orchestra.
Clarinetist GEORGIY BORISOV relays that it's been an incredibly rewarding experience to play with such a distinguished group of musicians of the Grand Rapids Symphony! He looks forward to rehearsing and performing all the upcoming music for this season. Previously Georgiy has held the position of principal clarinet and artist-in-residence in the Kalamazoo Symphony and performed in the New York Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Seattle Symphony.
Trumpeter THOMAS HUBEL is very excited to join the Grand Rapids Symphony! He is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area but has spent the last few years in Chicago completing his Master's Degree at Northwestern University. Thomas has spent the past few summers playing with the Des Moines Metro Opera and toured as a solo cornetist with the Chicago Brass Band.
California native and Bostonian-at-heart, flutist DOMINIQUE KIM has lived on both the West and East coasts and now is excited to explore the great Midwest, thanks to her new post at the Grand Rapids Symphony! A Harvard/NEC dual degree program and Rice Shepherd School of Music graduate, Dominique was previously principal flute of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Originally from Los Angeles, California, SHIRLEY KIM is the newly appointed section cellist of the Grand Rapids Symphony this season. She grew up at the Colburn School taking lessons since she was just four years old. Shirley was previously at the New World Symphony for one season, and before then she had completed her Master's in orchestral performance at the Manhattan School of Music. She finished her undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music with Steven Doane and Rosemary Elliot. Shirley has played with the Pacific Symphony and New Haven Symphony.
JAEWON SEO was born in Gwangju, South Korea and grew up in Canada. He was appointed as a section violinist of the Grand Rapids Symphony in February of 2024. Jaewon started taking violin lessons at the age of nine. He was previously at the New World Symphony from 2022-24 and before he had completed his Master's of Music degree at Rice University. Jaewon finished his undergraduate studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has played as a soloist with Canada's National Arts Orchestra, Ottawa Chamber Orchestra, Ottawa Symphonic Orchestra, and many others.
Greetings to our six new GRSMA members!