March 25, 2026
Houston Symphony Names Eun Sung Kim Recipient Of 2026 Spec’s Charitable Foundation Award For Excellence In Music Education
HOUSTON (March 25, 2025) –
The Houston Symphony has announced that Carter Academy’s Strings Teacher and Magnet Coordinator Eun Sung Kimhas been named the 2026 recipient of the Spec’s Charitable Foundation Award for Excellence in Music Education. The award is being presented this Sunday at the Houston Symphony’s annual Salute to Educators during the matinee performance of Grieg’s Peer Gynt.
Eun Sung Kim is a passionate music educator and arts advocate who has enriched the lives of students in Aldine ISD’s Choice Schools since 2005. She currently serves as a strings teacher and the Magnet Coordinator at Carter Academy, where she has helped shape a thriving, student-centered fine arts program. Under her leadership, she helped Carter Academy achieve National Magnet Certification and earned them recognition as a 2026 School of Excellence by Magnet Schools of America. Eun Sung earned her bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Troy University and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Lamar University, where she is also a doctoral candidate. A 2017 finalist for Aldine ISD Teacher of the Year, Kim also frequently presents at regional and national conferences, sharing best practices in arts integration and learning.
Colleagues praise Kim for cultivating a classroom culture rooted in collaboration, accountability, and joy, where students grow not only as musicians but as confident, compassionate individuals. Eun Sung is also known for incorporating creative and relevant teaching strategies in her classes to engage her students in learning about music from around the world. She has persevered through limited resources and systemic challenges to sustain and expand her program, securing support and performance opportunities that allow students to thrive and continue their musical journeys into middle and high school and beyond. Beyond her professional work, Kim is an avid photographer and lifelong learner who enjoys traveling with her family and painting alongside her daughters, nurturing the same creativity, curiosity, and confidence she fosters in her students.
Kim consistently makes the Houston Symphony a part of her students’ lives every year—from bringing them to student concerts, to hosting Symphony musicians for in-school performances, and even helping Symphony teaching artists develop strategies to support the orchestra’s In Harmony programs. Her commitment strengthens not only her students but Houston’s entire music education community.
Tickets to Grieg’s Peer Gynt this weekend, including the Salute to Educators performance Sunday May 29, 2026 at 2 p.m., as well as the rest of the Houston Symphony’s 2025–26 Season, are available at houstonsymphony.org, by phone or text at 713-224-7575, or in person at the Houston Symphony’s Courtyard Level box office at Jones Hall.
About the Houston Symphony
Under the leadership of Music Director Juraj Valčuha, the Grammy Award-winning Houston Symphony continues to inspire and engage diverse audiences in Houston and beyond with exceptional musical performances and enduring community impact. The Symphony held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston on June 21, 1913. Now in its second century as one of America’s premier orchestras, the Houston Symphony is one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas and remains a cultural cornerstone of the region.
With an annual operating budget of $40.7 million, the Symphony presents over 130 concerts each year, making it one of the largest performing arts organizations in Texas. Its reach extends far beyond the concert hall, delivering more than 600 performances annually at schools, community centers, hospitals, and other venues, engaging over 160,000 people throughout Greater Houston.
The Symphony's innovative response to the COVID-19 pandemic—completing its 2020-21 Season with in-person audiences and weekly livestreams—earned national recognition and the ASCAP Foundation’s Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Broadcast/Media Award. Its commitment to innovation continues, with its 2024-25 Season reaching audiences in over 45 countries and all 50 states via livestreaming, making it one of the few American orchestras to sustain such global digital engagement.
Renowned for its artistry, the Symphony has a distinguished recording legacy under prestigious labels, including Koch International Classics, Naxos, RCA Red Seal, and Pentatone. Highlights include a Grammy and ECHO Klassik Award-winning live recording of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck and recent releases such as Jimmy López Bellido’s Aurora and Ad Astra (2022) and Jennifer Higdon’s Duo Duel (2023).
The Symphony’s educational impact is equally remarkable, with its Harry and Cora Sue Mach Student Concert Series reaching over 50,000 students annually. Its In Harmony after-school program and partnerships with institutions like the Houston Methodist Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Texas Children’s Hospital further demonstrate the Symphony’s commitment to fostering community connections and accessibility to the arts.
With a vision centered on artistic excellence, community engagement, and accessibility, the Houston Symphony remains a cultural leader in Houston and a global ambassador for the transformative power of music.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
For more information, please contact
Eric Skelly, eric.skelly@houstonsymphony.org
Jessica Henderson, jessica@theckpgroup.com
Media Contacts
Eric Skelly
Senior Director, Communications
Phone: 713.337.8560 Mail: eric.skelly@houstonsymphony.org
