A Minnesota native, Kiana Welsch has been playing the violin since she was six years old. Kiana aspires to perform and create music that speaks to everyone across the musical spectrum. She was a dedicated member of the Minnesota Youth Symphonies for five years, which played a significant role in her decision to make a career out of her intense passion for all things music. A member of Forest Lake High School's Sinfonia Orchestra for three and a half years, Kiana became Concertmaster during her Senior Year. Throughout high school, she played in several chamber ensemble gigs with her high school peers, appearing at the Mall of America, awards banquets, and local restaurants and cafes.
Among her passion and commitment to the violin, Kiana has also found a fascination in composing music. At age 15, Kiana composed and conducted the high school's Chamber Orchestra in the premiere of her first original orchestral piece, Voyagers' Suite. The next year, she composed a second movement to Voyagers' Suite, titled Pilgrims' Tale of the Ages. This movement was performed by a small chamber ensemble through a composition class offered by Minnesota Youth Symphonies.
Kiana has previously taken lessons from Poji Schreiber and Aaron Janse. Currently, Kiana is pursuing a double major in Violin Performance and Music Composition at the University of Northwestern-St Paul, where she is studying under the tutelage of Emily Saathoff.