Kiana Welsch

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.  Kiana had previously taken lessons from Poji Schreiber and Aaron Janse.  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, IDS Center, 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.  A small chamber ensemble performed this movement through a composition class offered by Minnesota Youth Symphonies.

In September 2020 she became a violin and viola instructor for the University of Northwestern-St. Paul’s Academy of Music where she discovered great joy in teaching music through private studio lessons.  Since then, she has continued building her own private studio.  In May 2023, Kiana graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Violin Performance with a minor in Music Composition at the University of Northwestern-St Paul, where she studied violin under the tutelage of Emily Saathoff and composition under Dr. Josh Bauder.

Currently, Kiana is teaching orchestra at Maranatha Christian Academy, Concordia Academy, and North Heights Christian Academy. She continues to teach private lessons out of the UNW Academy of Music and her home studio.