BUFORD, Ga. — What began with a sixth-grade instrument tryout at Glenn C. Jones Middle School has led Buford native Kevin Jin to one of the nation’s most prestigious training programs for emerging classical musicians.
Jin, a 2023 Mill Creek High School graduate, was selected from more than 450 applicants to attend the Sarasota Music Festival, where just 40 college-age fellows were chosen to study and perform alongside internationally acclaimed musicians.
Held June 1-13 in Sarasota, Florida, the festival is considered one of the country’s premier programs for aspiring classical musicians. Alumni have gone on to become concertmasters and principal musicians with major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
For Jin, the opportunity marks another milestone in a musical journey that began after his family immigrated from South Korea in 2013.
“I lived in Buford for 13 years after immigrating from South Korea,” Jin said.
Jin attended Ivy Creek Elementary School, Glenn C. Jones Middle School and Mill Creek High School. He credits retired middle school band director Dr. Tonya Millsap, former Mill Creek High School band director Erik Mason and private instructor Dr. Justin Stanley with helping shape his development as a musician.
He first picked up the clarinet during a sixth-grade instrument tryout, but music soon became more than a school activity.
“My two older sisters already had passions for what they wanted to study and do professionally,” Jin said. “Before music, I never had a strong enough interest in anything. Once I found the clarinet, it became an easy decision about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
A defining experience came during his first summer at Interlochen Arts Camp, where he studied with clarinetist Dr. Steven D. Davis.
“His passion and ability to connect music with kindness and how he leads his life made me fall in love with music so quickly in the three weeks I spent with him,” Jin said.
During the Sarasota Music Festival, Jin rehearsed and performed in chamber ensembles alongside distinguished faculty artists, gaining lessons that extended beyond technical performance.
One highlight was working with former New York Philharmonic Associate Principal Cellist Alan Stepansky, who performed as part of Jin’s chamber ensemble during the festival’s opening week.
“I’ve learned so much about how to be a supportive colleague in an ensemble,” Jin said. “Some of my favorite things I learned were about string bowings and how they function in shaping musical lines.”
Jin said his long-term goal is to build a career that allows him to perform for broader audiences while supporting his family.
“My goal as a musician is simply to be in a position to perform as much music as possible for people who aren’t familiar with classical music while financially supporting my family,” he said. “That could be through a professional orchestra, a military band or both.”
For Jin, what started as a middle school band tryout in Buford has become a path toward a professional career in music.
