About Mikayla

Mikayla Chan is a Chinese-American violinist, chamber musician, and soloist based in NYC. After her first year of her Master’s degree, she developed a passion for exploring and programming written by female BIPOC and AAPI musicians, hoping to break the conventions of standard repertoire and programming in classical music.

When Mikayla was ten years old, she made her solo debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, performing Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto in A minor. She was also a soloist for the Interschool Orchestras of New York at Trinity Church. Mikayla has also performed and taught young students with the New York Favore Chamber Music series. In her sophomore year of college, she assisted in founding the Greenwich Village Chamber Music Society in 2019.

Mikayla was a participant of several orchestras and festivals. She was a member of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York, Music for All’s Honor Orchestra of America, ASTA’s Orchestra festival, NYSSMA All State Symphony Orchestra, and was the concertmaster for the Interschool Orchestras of New York. She was also a participant of Brevard Music Center’s orchestras in 2021. These large ensembles conducted by James Blachly, Larry Livingston, Sey Ahn, Jeffrey Grogan, JoAnn Faletta, Ken Lam, and Keith Lockhart. She is currently an active member of the Mannes Orchestra, led by David Hayes. As an Orchestral musician, Mikayla has displayed great artistry and leadership. In early 2024, Mikayla was selected to be the principal 2nd violinist of the Mannes Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln center, where she performed Charles Ives’ fourth symphony. She was also principal 2nd violinist of the Mannes Orchestra’s performances and collaboration with the Martha Graham Dance Company on April 18th and 19th 2024 where she performed the ballet suites of Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”.

As a chamber musician, Mikayla has performed with various groups and has played a wide range of compositions. As a chamber musician, Mikayla has performed with various groups and has played a wide range of compositions. She has been a member of string quartets, mixed chamber ensembles, baroque ensembles, and has recently debuted her piano quartet in May of 2024, where she performed Brahms' first piano quartet in G minor. 2015, Mikayla was selected to participate in LISFA’s chamber music festival, where she performed works by Tchaikovsky with a string quartet. She has also performed a selection of Bartok’s violin duos in 2019 for the Greenwich Village Chamber Music Society’s debut. In 2021, she performed chamber pieces written by composers in the Brevard Music Center’s New Music Ensembles and performed the Bartok Contrasts with her colleagues at the Brevard Music Center.

In 2013, Mikayla attended Kinhaven music school’s junior division, where she was an active orchestral player and chamber musician. In 2015, she attended NYU Steinhardt’s Summer Strings program. She performed for a masterclass taught by Cyrus Beroukhim and performed Grazyna Bacewicz’s violin quartet with her colleagues. Mikayla also performed as a soloist, playing Bach’s violin concerto in E major. In 2015 and 2017, Mikayla was an active performer and member of the Louis Armstrong Visiting Artist series at Mount Sinai Hospital. She performed as a soloist at the Union Square location and at the Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute for patients recovering from surgery.

Recognized by her performances, Mikayla was the recipient of some rewards and honors. In 2017, she was a semifinalist for the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra concerto competition, where she performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto no.1 in G minor. She also received the Award of Merit from the Long Island Arts Alliance Scholar Artists’ Award. In 2018, Mikayla was the recipient of the NYSCAME Joel Ratner scholarship.

Mikayla has had the opportunity to receive lessons and chamber coachings from many phenomenal instructors and renowed artists. She holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in violin performance from the Mannes School of Music at The New School. Some notable instructors who Mikayla has studied with are Rebecca Fischer, Curtis Macomber, and Kinga Augustyn. 

Aside from performing, Mikayla engages in promotional roles on social media pages for New York based music organizations. She currently runs the social media pages for Concerts on the Slope. On her free time, she enjoys crocheting, dyeing hair, bouldering, and spending time with her Havanese, Kimchi.