Described by Gramophone Magazine as "eloquent," 

Dr. Zenas Kim-Banther is an international soloist, orchestral trombonist, chamber musician, and educator. As a soloist she has been invited on several international stages, including performances with the Athens City Symphony Orchestra in Greece, Croatian Military Wind Orchestra in Zagreb, Altena Brass of the Netherlands, Brass of Peace, University of Maryland Wind Orchestra, and IWBC's Holiday Brass in Baltimore. Zenas was also a finalist of the International Trombone Association’s Gagliardi, Smith, and Alto Competitions. With a passion for expanding the solo repertoire for trombone, she has commissioned cutting-edge solo and chamber pieces from composers Osnat Netzer, Norman Bolter, Kevin McKee and more.

 

As an avid chamber musician, Zenas was a core member of the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, touring across the United States, and world-wide, and has performed with brass quintets such as Seraph Brass. She has performed at various chamber music festivals, including the Storioni Festival in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, performing with principals from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and members of the Storioni Trio. 

 

Equally at home as an orchestral player, she was appointed Principal Trombone of Daegu Symphony Orchestra in South Korea, as well as appearing with various orchestras such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the National Philharmonic. She has performed under the baton of conducting legends such as Kurt Masur, Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos, Herbert Blomstedt, Yannick Nezet Seguin, and Ludovic Morlot. She was also a fellow at Tanglewood Music Center, Banff Centre’s Orchestra Residency Program and National Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Fellowship Program. 

 

With a passion for music education, Zenas is involved in education across the board, for all ages. She is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor of Trombone at the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College, and was previously on faculty at the Kye Myung University School of Music. She has also held masterclasses at international brass festivals, including in Zagreb and Sao Paulo, and at universities across the United States, including SUNY Fredonia, George Mason University, and University of Louisville, and was a speaker at the Education Panel at the American Trombone Workshop. She also maintains a private trombone studio in the Washington D.C/Frederick area.

 

She received a Bachelor of Music from New England Conservatory, studying with Norman Bolter with a double degree in music history. She earned her Master of Music degree from Rotterdam Conservatoire, studying with Jörgen van Rijen of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Pierre Volders and Remko de Jager of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. She obtained a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Maryland, studying with Craig Mulcahy. 

 

She currently resides in Maryland with her tubist husband John Banther, dogs Maggie and Cody, a retired racehorse Bolero, and three chickens.