Local Jazz Prodigy Kian Linam Honored, Heads to Peabody

by Megan Schmid, Staff Writer

Reston's Kian Linam was selected as a top student jazz musician in the country. Photo contributed by Yoko Linam.

At just 18 years old, Kian Linam has already performed on some of the nation’s most prestigious stages, earned top honors in national music competitions, and been formally commended by the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates for his musical achievements and contributions. Now, the recent South Lakes High School graduate is preparing to take the next step in both his academic and musical journey.

Kian began playing piano at age 6, drawn to the hard-swinging style of New Orleans jazz. He’s been practicing at least three hours a day ever since.

He joined the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra in 2020 to begin formal jazz studies, and this year, was selected as one of the top student jazz musicians in the country for the 2025 NEA/Herbie Hancock Institute National Peer-to-Peer All-Star Jazz Quintet Tour in Kansas.

A two-time YoungArts Award winner and recipient of multiple DownBeat Student Music Awards, Kian has performed with acclaimed artists and ensembles including The U.S. Army Blues, Ashlin Parker & The Trumpet Mafia, and Michael Bowie. His performance credits include top venues and festivals such as Blues Alley, The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, The Blue Room (Kansas City), The Hamilton, The Carlyle Room, Reston Town Center’s Summer Concert Series, and The National Press Club.

This fall, Kian will attend the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, where he will major in Jazz Performance. As he leaves Reston for one of the world’s most competitive music conservatories, Kian brings with him not just extraordinary talent, but also the passion and discipline that hint at a future on the global stage—or perhaps with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, his dream ensemble.

Want to hear him live? Kian regularly performs as a soloist and leads the Kian T. Linam Trio/Quartet. Catch him every Sunday this summer from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Lake Anne Coffee House & Wine Bar.