Composer’s distinctive artistic voice hailed by national honor society
The Arts and Letters Award for Texu Kim, an associate professor of Composition and Theory, includes a $10,000 recording grant and New York concert performance.
Texu Kim (김택수), an accomplished composer and associate professor in the San Diego State University School of Music and Dance, is being recognized with an award from a national honor society.
Kim, who teaches music composition and theory, will receive a 2026 Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Among the established and emerging composers being honored are Kim and three other composers who are specifically being recognized as artists who have “arrived at their own voice.”
His award includes a $10,000 grant to support the recording of one work. In addition, a concert featuring works by each recipient will be presented at the Arts and Letters Library in New York City as part of its Salon Concert Series.
“I’m deeply honored to receive a 2026 Arts and Letters Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a national institution that for more than a century has recognized significant contributions to the arts in the United States,” Kim said. “The award recognizes composers who have arrived at a distinct artistic voice, and to be acknowledged by fellow artists and composers at this level is profoundly meaningful to me. I’m also grateful to be part of an environment that has inspired and supported me in pursuing my work.”
“Much of my work is rooted in storytelling: drawing from overlooked histories, everyday experiences, and voices that are often unheard. I’m grateful that this recognition affirms not only the craft but also the larger artistic values that guide it. The accompanying recording grant will allow me to document a recent work at the highest level, helping ensure that the music continues to circulate and reach new audiences,” Kim said.
Kim describes his work as “music inspired by everyday experiences, music about modern (South) Korea reflecting its multicultural nature, and music that is humorous yet sophisticated.” His music also incorporates and expands elements and systems of Korean folk music.
“Texu Kim’s professional work is stellar, bringing our university national and international acclaim,” said Kevin Delgado, director of the SDSU School of Music and Dance. “But the wonderful thing about Texu is that his professional excellence is equaled by his dedication to his students. He is an outstanding instructor and a gem of a colleague, a true embodiment of the ideal of the university instructor as a teacher/scholar/artist. We’re very proud of him.”
Having served as the Composer-in-Residence of the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, his music has been performed by the New York Philharmonic, LA Phil, San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Philharmonia, Seoul Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, Detroit Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Modern, and Alarm Will Sound, among others.
Winner of the 2021 Barlow Prize, he has received honors from the Fromm Foundation, Civitella Ranieri Foundation, the Copland House, Ilshin Foundation, Isang Yun Foundation, SCI/ASCAP, and more.
The 300 members of Arts and Letters nominate candidates for awards, and a rotating committee of composer members selects the winners.
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is an honor society of 300 members whose mission is to foster and sustain interest in the arts. It represents the highest standards of artistic achievement in the U.S., and its community of members is among the leading contemporary architects, visual artists, writers, and musical composers.
