Local violinist Kayla Uchida is a teacher, performer, and clinician who has been actively working in the local arts community since 2016. She specializes in the Suzuki Method teaching philosophy, working with students ages 3 and up. Her students are prizewinners in the Morning Music Club Competition and her studio competes and performs at local competitions and festivals including the Osaka International Music Competition, the MTNA National Performance Competitions, and the Solo and Ensemble Festival. She is a graduate of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, and is returning to pursue a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance.

Ms. Kayla is currently a violinist in the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra located on the Big Island of Hawai’i. She has held concertmaster and section leader positions in the University of Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra (UHSO) throughout her undergraduate career. Her leadership in performance extends to chamber music, where she led her ensemble to become state representatives in the MTNA National Performance Competition. She enjoys collaborating with local musicians and has been featured in multiple recitals. She has had the opportunity to learn from Sarah Chang, Jinjoo Cho, Cavani Quartet, Eroica Trio, and Leonard Schranze.

Ms. Kayla started violin lessons at the age of 3, when her “violin” consisted of a tissue box with rubber bands and an empty paper towel roll for her “bow”. She found her love of music in playing with others and fondly remembers having concerts at home, performing with her younger sister. She is a “granddaughter” of the Suzuki Method, as her teacher studied directly under Dr. Suzuki himself. Her notable teachers include Dr. Nicole Routman Ebisu, Ellie Leroux, Ignace Jang, and Joseph Stepec.

Ms. Kayla has been on the staff of the ‘Iolani Performing Arts Department Orchestra Team since 2019. She is currently the string instructor for the Beginning Violin/Viola class and assists young musicians at the start of their artistic journeys. 

Not only is Ms. Kayla an active musician but she also grew up as a classically trained dancer. She trained in ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre, lyrical, and contemporary dance forms across the island. She was on the dance faculty at Punahou School for nearly a decade and also taught at Diamond Head Theatre (DHT). As a child, she was a part of youth performing troupes Shooting Stars at DHT and PACKids, at the Performing Arts Center at Kapolei. She has also spent time on the community theatre stage, appearing in multiple productions on the DHT and Paliku Theatre stages.  Ms. Kayla believes that the music and dance are interconnected and uses her dance experience to elevate her musical pedagogy.

In her little free time, Ms. Kayla likes to cook, play video games, and read books with her friends.