Violinist Kayla Green has become sought-after for her broad range of skills in performance, education, and arts administration. Kayla has spent the past two decades studying violin and has been the recipient of various awards including the Kaufman Family Scholarship, the Johnson Coleman Endowed Memorial Scholarship for Strings, National School Orchestra Award, first place in the Veha Chamichian String Competition, second place in the 2017 Michigan Teachers National Association Competition, and the highest award available to students at her university, the President’s Award for Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishments. A Virtu Scholar, Kayla was generously loaned an instrument from the Virtu Foundation from 2015-2017.
Dedicated to using music to create opportunities for stories to be communicated in new ways, Kayla founded GrandStand Music Festival in 2018, a nonprofit that partners with organizations and artists to produce events designed to increase understanding of gender-based violence and related issues. The organization was nominated for Equal Innovation’s annual publication of leading startups and research breakthroughs in 2021. It has produced numerous in-person and digital events through grants and partnerships with such high-profile entities as the JW Marriott, Farm Bureau Insurance, MSU Federal Credit Union, The Salvation Army, the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, and many others.
In addition to the nonprofit she founded, Kayla has held leadership positions in other nonprofits including Artistic Director of the Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art (MICA) and Development Assistant for the Grand Rapids Symphony. During her time at MICA, she spearheaded the organization’s grant-writing efforts, achieving a 100% success rate which included a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Kayla has performed throughout the United States and Italy, including performances at the National Opera Center in New York City, the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, and the Wharton Performing Arts Center. She has performed with many symphonies and chamber groups and has shared the stage with well-known artists and conductors such as Cristian Măcelaru, Andrés Cárdenes, Smokey Robinson, José Feliciano, Zuill Bailey, Suren Bagratuni, Kensho Watanabe, Chris Brubeck, Time for Three, and many more.
Kayla earned a Master of Music Performance with a Certificate in Music Career Development on full scholarship from Michigan State University under the tutelage of Dmitri Berlinsky, as well as a Bachelor of Music Performance from Central Michigan University, where she studied with Fangye Sun. Additional studies have included Texas Music Festival, Meadowmount School of Music, Philadelphia International Music Festival, and Wintergreen Music Academy with professors such as Brian Lewis (University of Texas– Austin), Ann Setzer (The Juilliard School), Yvonne Lam (Eighth Blackbird), Chee-Yun, and members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Kayla currently works as an active performer, teacher, and arts administrator in Austin, Texas.