Having first picked up the fiddle at age 6 and the guitar and mandolin only a few years later, Kian grew up attending various bluegrass festivals and fiddle camps all over the West Coast. After playing in numerous bands in his teens and early 20s in Portland, Oregon, Kian moved to Bellingham, Washington where he founded the band Virginia Rail and produced and mixed their self-titled debut album in 2022.
In 2023, Kian finished his undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Fairhaven College at Western Washington University, where his studies focused on audio technology, ethnomusicology, and social justice. Also during this time, Kian was the recipient of the Oregon Bluegrass Association’s Steve Waller Grant, and won the 2023 Monroe Mandolin Appreciation Society Tune Writing Contest hosted by Christopher Henry (Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band).
Kian released his self-titled debut album in May of 2024 which features seven new original instrumental compositions. Joining him on this album are longtime musical friends and collaborators Joe Suskind and Brian Alley (Never Come Down), Forrest Marowitz (Eli West, AJ Lee and Blue Summit), Forrest Gibson, and Josiah Payne.
In addition to being an accomplished performer, Kian is also a skilled teacher and currently has a full studio of private students and hosts a bluegrass group class and a monthly bluegrass jam in Bellingham, Washington. He also runs a Patreon page where you can find educational videos, behind-the-scenes content, and connect with a growing community of students and bluegrass enthusiasts.