Strings Attatched

Mr. Kay is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. He is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, Westmont College, and the Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory College.

Indebted to his instructors for their commitment and care in his musical training, Mr. Kay was fortunate to study under Rebecca Ensworth, Eugenia Poustyreva, Yue Deng, Thierry Stoeckel, Dr. Han Soo Kim, Linda Wang, Ian Swensen, Alexander Barantschik, David Halen, and Bing Wang.

Recently completing a project with Lincoln Center and Holland America Line, Mr. Kay has traveled to over 20 countries and performed over 300 concerts in 5 months onboard the MS Rotterdam bringing quality classical music to the open seas.
In addition, he has performed throughout Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria, and extensively in the U.S.A., in renowned halls such as the Mozarteum (Salzburg), Dvorak Hall (Prague) Harvard University, Severance Hall, Mechanics Hall, among others.

In 2019, Mr. Kay was selected as one of nine students to receive the Center for Orchestral Leadership Training Fellowship at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He has served in principal positions in the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Aspen Opera Center Orchestra, and the Aspen Chamber Symphony. In addition, Mr. Kay has attended the Credo Chamber Music Festival at Oberlin College, the Brevard Music Festival, and the Stringendo School for Strings.

Mr. Kay was fortunate to live in Heidelberg, Germany and study at the Heidelberg Opera House with its Concertmaster, Thierry Stoeckel, during the fall and winter of 2014.
Mr. Kay has performed chamber music with Alex Kerr, Matthew Zalkand, Jeremiah Shaw (of the Telegraph Quartet), and Jean-Michel Fonteneau, in addition to performing with the Santa Barbara Symphony under Nir Kabaretti and Yakima Symphony under Dr. Lawrence Golan.

As an avid music instructor, Mr. Kay has taught at the Santa Barbara Strings program for youth where he coached chamber music, was the director of the ensemble “Toccata,” and assisted with large ensemble duties from (phone number hidden)6. In addition to maintaining a private studio in Denver, Colorado, Mr. Kay was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for violin Professor Linda Wang at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music during his graduate studies. He also was an instructor of both violin and piano students at The Amabile School in San Francisco.