A Family Connected Through Music
The Kim-Utley's Multi-Generation Story at the Music Institute of Chicago
November 5th, 2025
"MIC has been a musical home for us. We’ve studied at three campuses—Lake Forest, Winnetka, and Evanston—and all of them feel like extensions of our home...We know that our musical education is in good hands at MIC, with quality teaching and opportunities galore.” -Jean Kim
Sometimes, what begins as a simple after-school activity becomes something much more. For the Kim-Utley family, music has grown from a childhood pursuit into a shared part of family life that continues to connect them to each other.
What began as piano lessons for Jean Kim has evolved into a family tradition, with each member finding their own way to make music part of their lives.
Dr. Jean Kim
Jean Kim started learning piano when she was three years old under the guidance of her mother. “I don’t remember ever not playing music,” she says. “It was something that became second nature.”
The summer before her freshman year of high school in 1982, she began studying at the Music Institute of Chicago, then known as the Music Center of the North Shore. “When I changed teachers to study under Emilio del Rosario, I discovered an exciting aspect to music at a level of intensity and excellence that was new to me.”
Her experiences as a high school student made a lasting impression. “My fondest memories of high school weekends were Saturday night Recital Workshops when my fellow piano students and I would perform for each other, week after week, preparing for recitals and competitions.”
Now a physician and Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University, Jean still finds ways to stay musically active as an accompanist and performer in piano duo festivals around Chicago.
Dr. William (Bill) Utley
Thirteen years ago, Jean’s husband Bill, a physician and medical director at Elevance Health, made an unexpected musical discovery. While at a family karaoke party, he discovered he was an operatic tenor.
Since 2015, Bill has studied voice with Dorothy Jean Lloyd at MIC and regularly performs in the community. “Through the musical growth and confidence gained at MIC, he has performed in competitions and recitals as well as joined community and church choirs. He continues to look for opportunities to grow in both vocal repertoire breadth and depth,” Jean says.
One favorite family memory stands out: “Though the boys have had many successful experiences in music, one highlight was Bill’s first performance at Nichols, where I accompanied,” Jean recalls. “It was a thrill for all of us, and what a wonderful venue to showcase Bill’s resonant voice.”
Sam Kim – Pianist and Percussionist
“At the age of 3 years, Sam was busy setting up his drum set made up of popcorn tins in the living room after church,” Jean remembers. When percussion lessons weren’t yet an option, he began studying piano with his grandmother and eventually took piano lessons at MIC with Dr. Soo Young Lee from 2018 to 2024. He also studied percussion with Josh Graham from 2018–2019.
Sam became an active member of the MIC community. He attended the Piano Intensive Camp, completed the Musicianship Program, and performed with his chamber group Trio Lumina, coached by Dr. Soo Young Lee and Sang Mee Lee. He has appeared in the Young Steinway Concert Series, WFMT Introductions, and even at Carnegie Hall.
Now a sophomore at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, Sam is pursuing a double major in music education and percussion performance.
Joey Kim – Guitarist and Euphonium Player
Following in his brother’s footsteps, Joey began his musical studies at MIC in 2018, taking classical guitar lessons with Brad Conroy. “When he was 4 years old, Joey decided that he would take up the guitar,” Jean recalls. “He began learning classical guitar and has enjoyed the sensitivity and challenge of that repertoire.”
In addition to guitar, Joey plays euphonium in school ensembles and studies at MIC with Nick Collins. He has been through MIC’s Musicianship Program through pre-college and participated in the inaugural Guitar Intensive Camp.
Now a senior at Libertyville High School, Joey is applying to college, planning to continue euphonium studies while majoring in meteorology and physics.
A Shared Love of Music
Even as life takes each of them in different directions, music continues to bring the Kim-Utley family together. Jean says it best: “MIC has been a musical home for us. We’ve studied at three campuses—Lake Forest, Winnetka, and Evanston—and all of them feel like extensions of our home. We love seeing friends, colleagues, and teachers even when we’re not there to take lessons. Sometimes we just go to MIC to practice for fun! We know that our musical education is in good hands at MIC, with quality teaching and opportunities galore.”
Reflecting on her own experience, Jean adds, “My experience at MIC was life-changing. Even now I continue to cherish the camaraderie and long-lasting friendships, as well as a lifelong appreciation for excellence in classical music.”
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