Aika Birch, 16, attends Jackson High School in Massillon, Ohio. She began studying violin at the age of three with Dr. Marlene Moses and currently studies with Jung-Min Amy Lee, Associate Concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra.
Aika has been a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra (COYO) under the direction of Daniel Reith since and served as Concertmaster for the Fall 2024 concert. She has also performed with the Canton Youth Symphony Advanced Orchestra. Her summer festival experience includes the Ascent International Music Festival, the Philadelphia International Music Camp & Festival, the Western Reserve Chamber Festival, and the Interlochen Advanced String Summer Camp. Additionally, she is an active member of the Brahms Allegro of the Tuesday Musical Club of Akron and the McDowell Club of Canton.
In Spring 2024, Aika performed Bruch’s Violin Concerto as the winner of the Lakeland Civic Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition under the baton of Mathew Saunders. She was also awarded first prize in Sigma Alpha Iota’s Cleveland Annual String Competition in 2023. Most recently, she was one of the winners of the Suburban Symphony Orchestra Young Soloists Concerto Competition and performed with the Orchestra in May 2025.
In her spare time, she enjoys long walks, cooking, sewing, and reading.