Seung Ju Kim was born in Korea and began his first violin lesson at the age of eleven with Mr. Hyung-Tae Kim. He won his first recital at the 1982 Pusan Competition.  Through a scholarship at Han Yang University, he studied violin with John Snow and Taesik Pyoung. He continued his studies in Orchestra, conducting at Claremont Graduate School with Dr. Michael Lamkin. After graduation, he had his debut conducting the Paduca Symphony Orchestra, which began a busy conducting career. He has been invited to many performances such as the Art Ensemble Orchestra, the La Palma String Ensemble, the La Palma Chamber Orchestra, The United Choir, and The OMC Youth Concert. He also played as a principal member of the Claremont Chamber Orchestra with Dr. Lamkin. In the past, he has served as the principal conductor of the La Palma Chamber Orchestra since 1994, the Oriental Mission Church Youth Orchestra since 1996 and is currently the music director and conductor of the Korean American Youth Symphony since 2006.