About
subject to change
It is uncommon for an artist to develop their skills for multiple media simultaniously, though Kai Bowen did this in his teenage years, and is still doing this today. When he went to Da Vinci Academy of the Sciences and Arts, Kai was interested in playing cello as much as he was interested in painting and ceramics. Throughout his teenage years, he developed a love for both the visual and performing arts.
Kai started studying cello with Yi An Chi and Dan Pack, both students of cellist Viktor Uzur. He played in Ogden Youth Symphony, Northern Utah Youth Symphony, and Skyward Symphony. His time with these groups broadened his perspective of what it means to play as a soloist, chamber musician, and in an orchestra. Kai won the Concerto Competition with Northern Utah Youth Symphony in 2019, formed a quartet with fellow symphony members titled the Stewartetto Quartet, and played pieces ranging from Bach to Bloch in Abravanele Hall in Salt Lake City. Kai later found interest in composing at the end of his high school career, and composed his first two pieces which he premiered at his senior recital.
Throughout middle and high school, Kai developed a love for oil painting and ceramic sculpture. By the end of his high school career, he put out three collections of visual art during his final years in high school: Queer Teenage Life (2020) (2D Media), Queer Dating in Highschool (2021) (2D Media), and Self Portraits (2021) (Ceramics). This basis of visual art was the basis of Kai’s curiosity of composition.
Kai received the Presidential Scholarship at School of the Arts Institute of Chicago, though chose his hand picked selection to pursue music at the University of Utah under John Eckstein for Cello Performance. Kai has worked with Blanka Bednarz, David Yavornitzski, Hasse Borup, and Steven Vanhauert in various chamber music ensembles. A year into his performance degree, he declared a major in composition. Kai has studied under Jessica Rudman, Robert Rankin, and currently studies with Miguel Chuaqui.
Kai’s time at the University of Utah has offered a wellspring of creative pursuits. He has played for: University of Utah’s (U of U) Philharmonia, U of U New Music Ensemble, an array of chamber groups ranging from octets to piano trio’s, Salt Lake Symphony, Chamber Orchestra Ogden, Opera Contempo, the Michie Undergraduate Vocal Quartet, masterclasses with Silver Ainomae, Alisha Viloti, Camden Shaw, Isodore, Dover, and Escher Quartets, and the Galan Trio. Kai has also commissioned two solo cello pieces from Won Jong titled imprint based on Johann Sebastian Bach’s cello suites. Both Kai and Won plan to collaborate on all six cello suites. An upcoming project Kai has is with fellow friend and composer Gabriel Newvine. This cello and live electronics piece will be premiered Spring of 2026.
Kai has written for: The Rhythm Method, Gabriel Newvine of Penn State University, The Utah Ballet, Westminster University School of Dance, Salt Lake Ballet Cooperative, Deseret Experimental Opera, The Michie Graduate Quartet, U of U Graduate Brass Quintet, U of U Flute Choir, and the U of U Campus Symphony. Kai has attended a myriad of summer festivals as well. He attended the following festivals for composition: ICEBERG New Music Festival Summer of 2024, and IMPULSE New Music Festival Summer of 2024. He has also attended the University of Utah Chamber Music Festival in Summer of 2023 as an ensemble performer, and Orvieto Musica Chamber Music Festival in Summer of 2025 performing and premiering his own work.