Kayla Burggraf joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as Associate Principal Flute in the 2024/25 season.

Before coming to Toronto, she spent five seasons as piccolo with the Kansas City Symphony, held a fellowship with the New World Symphony, served as Principal Flute of both the Des Moines and Ann Arbor Symphonies, and performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She has appeared as guest principal flute with renowned orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony on their 2023 European Residencies Tour and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on their 2024 European Festivals Tour. Equally accomplished as a piccoloist, she has performed as guest solo piccolo with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and others.

Kayla has also 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. During her tenure in Kansas City, she helped establish a solo recital series that continues today and contributed to numerous committees, focusing her efforts on artistic growth and audience engagement, particularly with young professionals. As a chamber musician, she has performed at the Kennedy Center with the Noctua Wind Quintet, earning prizes at the Fischoff, Coleman, Chamber Music Yellow Springs, and JC Arriaga competitions.

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 also been influenced by further studies with Jennifer Gunn, Stefán Höskuldsson, Stephanie Mortimore, and Renée Siebert.