Portland Metropolitan Region

Kaylee Nah

Musical Director

Kaylee Nah, 16, is a junior at Sunset High School and has studied violin under Hae-Jin Kim since the age of five. She has been part of the Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP) organization since 2018 and currently serves as co-concertmaster of the PYP orchestra. Kaylee was selected as concertmaster of both the 2024 and 2025 OMEA All-State Symphony Orchestras, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at the 2024 Interlochen Arts Camp, and NYO2 2025 (National Youth Orchestra), where she performed alongside fellow young musicians at Carnegie Hall and the Edinburgh International Festival.

Kaylee is a two-time OMEA State Solo Contest champion, earning 1st place in both 2024 and 2025. She also won 1st place in the MTNA Junior Strings Competition at both the Oregon state and Northwest division levels, advancing as one of seven national finalists. Her other top prizes include 1st place in the Oregon ASTA Solo Competition, Eugene Symphony Guild Legacy Young Artist Competition, MetroArts Young Artists Debut! Competition, and the Monday Musical Club Award Competition, where she received the $2,000 Phillips Award for best instrumental performance.

As an active soloist, Kaylee has performed with the Jewish Community Orchestra as a winner of its Young Artist Competition and with the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra as a winner of its 2025 Youth Competition. She is also excited to soon perform with the Eugene Symphony, Oregon Sinfonietta, and Camerata PYP. Additionally, Kaylee has participated in masterclasses with renowned artists including Ray Chen, Vadim Gluzman, Simone Porter, Benjamin Beilman, Sunmi Chang, and Jessica Lee. Beyond her solo and orchestral work, Kaylee is an active chamber musician and works to spread the love of music around her community. She has been a part of Project Prelude since 2023 and serves as Musical Director, holding The Cammie Lee Distinguished Chair in Music.

(Fall 2025)