Spotlight | Viola

Jesse Yukimura

Violist Jesse Keone Yukimura joined the Kansas City Symphony in 2018. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest in Edmonds, Washington, Jesse began taking lessons on piano at the age of six, and on viola at the age of nine. He joined the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras a year later, where he discovered the joys of playing ensemble music, and soon took an interest in chamber music, as well. Jesse received a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he studied with Peter Slowik. However, Jesse has a wide range of interests, including a passion for science, and also attended Oberlin College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. He then studied with Ralph Fielding at the Lynn Conservatory of Music, where he earned a Master of Music degree, as well as a Professional Performance Certificate. Before joining the Kansas City Symphony, Jesse was a viola fellow at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, an orchestral academy founded by artistic director Michael Tilson Thomas.