Earl Kim

He died on November 19, 1998, of lung cancer at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the age of 78.

In 1971 and 1972, Kim collaborated with his wife dancer Mimi Kagan on the work "Exercises en Route", which toured and featured text by Samuel Beckett, and soprano soloist performer Benita Valente.

From 1952 until 1967, Kim taught at Princeton University. In 1967 he left Princeton for Harvard University, where he taught until his retirement in 1990. See: List of music students by teacher: K to M#Earl Kim.

Kim was married three times to Nora Phillipsborn (in 1947), dancer Mimi Kagan (in 1956), and Martha Potter (in 1977); and he had two daughters.

He attended University of California, Los Angeles from 1939 to 1940, studying under Arnold Schoenberg. Kim briefly attended the University of California, Berkeley in 1940. His studies were paused when he served the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, as a captain in intelligence. After the war, he returned to study at UC Berkeley under Ernest Bloch, and Roger Sessions; and he received his BA degree in 1950 and MA degree in 1952. In 1967, he earned a second MA degree from Harvard University.

Earl Kim (1920–1998; née Eul Kim) was an American composer, and music pedagogue. He was of Korean–descent.

Kim was born on January 6, 1920, in Dinuba, California, to immigrant Korean parents. He began piano studies at age 9, studying under Homer Grun, and he soon developed an interest in composition.