Miss Whe Do Kim, LPMC Founder 

In 2000, Miss Whe Do Kim celebrated 15 years of teaching classical music at the Lincoln Park Music Center with her biennial Afternoon of Concerto—a concert devoted to showcasing the hard work of her diligent piano students with orchestra accompaniment. That year proved especially memorable.

When the concert ended, a student’s father announced a special birthday gift from the families of Miss Kim’s students to thank her for her commitment to their children's musical enrichment— a foundation established for Miss Kim to pursue the work she loves most. With tears in her eyes, Miss Kim accepted this extraordinary gesture and spent the next 15 years reflecting on how to use it to enrich lives through music and musical education.

Miss Kim is a global citizen in every sense. Born in Seoul, South Korea and a lifelong traveler, she has seen firsthand the deep impact of music on communities worldwide that have welcomed her. She also harbors a deep understanding of the need for greater musical outreach in her home of Chicago, Illinois after decades as an educator for children across its diverse communities. In her own words, “I want to give my students a sense of responsibility and community where we all work together through LPMC Foundation to share the beauty of music.” This belief became the foundation’s guiding principle.

In 2015, the LPMC Foundation officially took shape. Miss Kim enlisted her current students and their families to help develop the mission and operations of the foundation. Through various conversations, proposed projects, and community input, Miss Kim and her students settled on their initial goals: to build a $1 million endowment and to launch two major projects—one local in Chicago and one international— both designed to enrich children’s lives through music.

Since then, the LPMC Foundation has funded numerous musical initiatives in Chicago and across Europe, always with the same purpose—to expand access to music and nurture its transformative power for children everywhere.

Lincoln Park Music Center (LPMC)

Founded in 1985 by Miss Whe Do Kim, the Lincoln Park Music Center has inspired a love of classical piano in more than 300 students. Guided by Miss Kim’s vision, LPMC blends rigorous musical training with a deep commitment to community, rooted in its core values of Love, Peace, Mercy, and Compassion.

From young beginners to advanced high school musicians—and even adults returning to the piano—students are invited to explore the timeless world of classical music through both technical mastery and emotional expression.

Beyond the studio, LPMC students regularly share their music with the wider world through partnerships with local nursing homes, schools, and community organizations in Chicago and Europe. These experiences allow them to discover music’s extraordinary power to inspire, connect, and heal.