David Kim fills in as violin soloist

VAIL, Colo. - By the Philadelphia Orchestra's post-performance party Saturday night, concertmaster David Kim knew he had a heavier workload the next day.

When German violinist Erik Schumann canceled at the last minute because of visa problems, Bravo! The Vail Valley Music Festival had few options - world-class violinists aren't as plentiful here as they are in the East.

In a remarkable stroke of luck, Kim had played the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto that Schumann was to play only 10 days earlier in Ocean City, N.J. He also won sixth prize playing the piece at the 1986 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

"It's the one piece where I feel most comfortable. I've played it more than any other concerto in the repertory," Kim said Saturday night. "I'm nervous and excited. Any time you get to play as a concerto soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, it's something you've worked for all of your life."

- David Patrick Stearns