Biography

Kayla Burggraf joined the Houston Symphony as Principal Flute in the summer of 2026.

Prior to coming to Houston, she was Associate Principal Flute of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She has also held positions with the Kansas City Symphony, Des Moines Symphony, Ann Arbor Symphony and received orchestral training as a member of the New World Symphony and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She has appeared as guest principal flute with the San Francisco Symphony on their 2023 European Residencies Tour, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on their 2024 European Festivals Tour and the St. Louis Symphony. Accomplished as a piccoloist, she has performed as guest solo piccolo with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic, among others.

Kayla has been featured as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony, Des Moines Symphony, the New York Symphonic Ensemble Japan Tour, the Chelsea Music Festival in New York City, and with both Rice University’s Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra and the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra as winner of their concerto competitions. As a chamber musician, she has performed at the Kennedy Center and earned prizes at the Fischoff and Coleman competitions, among others.

Kayla earned her master’s degree in the Orchestral Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music under Robert Langevin, and completed her bachelor’s degree at Rice University with Leone Buyse, graduating with Distinction in Research and Creative Works. She has been influenced by further studies with Jennifer Gunn, Stefán Höskuldsson, and Lorna McGhee.