Kayla Kim is a 17-year-old violist from Irvine, California, who studies under the tutelage of Gina Coletti at the Colburn School. She has served as principal violist of the California All-State Symphony Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the OCSA Symphony Orchestra. In 2024, she was selected as a member of NYO2, where she served as assistant principal.
In 2025, Kayla and her string quartet were silver medalists at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and gold medalists and grand prize winners of the Coltman Chamber Music Competition. Recently, they were also selected as Fellows for NPR’s From the Top program. Kayla has earned first prizes at competitions including the ASTA Los Angeles Regionals and Finals, the American Protégé International Competition, the MTAC Scholarship Competition, and others.
In addition to her performance experience, Kayla has received masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Eugene Drucker, Li-Kuo Chang, Paul Coletti, and Tatjana Masurenko. Outside of music, she enjoys archery, finding tasty new matcha spots, and spending time with her dog, Alfie.