Kiya Klopfenstein

Kiya Klopfenstein, a second-year Library Fellow at the New World Symphony, hails from San Diego, California. Originally trained as a violist, she discovered the music performance library during her undergraduate studies, where she got a glimpse into an orchestra’s behind-the-scenes operations. This experience led her to the rich intersection of music scholarship and performance that defines the role of a librarian and their involvement in preparing orchestral music and beyond. Her favorite part about being a librarian is her ability to dig deeper into a score and get to know the music like a close friend.

Prior to joining the New World Symphony, Kiya worked in the libraries of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston University, while also maintaining an active freelance library and viola career in the Boston area. She received her bachelor’s degree in viola performance from San Diego State University and her master’s degree in music education from Boston University. She spent her summers as a librarian at the Tanglewood Music Center and Aspen Music Festival and School, and led the music preparation for the Festival Orchestra as part of the 2025 Shostakovich Festival in Leipzig Germany.

In addition to her viola playing, Kiya has also explored new instruments like the flute and percussion. Outside of music, she enjoys reading, hiking, birdwatching and knitting.