Kaiwen is a percussionist specializing in contemporary performance. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Percussion Performance at the University of Texas at Austin.

He has been actively engaged in both chamber and orchestral settings, performing at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) at the Indianapolis Convention Center and as a member of the Eastman Percussion Ensemble, where he contributed to works such as John Psathas’s Cloud Folk and Andy Akiho’s Seven Pillars. His chamber music experience includes performing major twentieth-century works such as Béla Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion and repertoire inspired by George Antheil’s Ballet Mécanique. He also served as timpanist with the Eastman Philharmonia, performing major orchestral repertoire including Brahms’s Symphony No. 1, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9, and Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony and Dona Nobis Pacem.

At the University of Texas at Austin, he continues to perform with leading ensembles including the UT Percussion Ensemble, UT Wind Ensemble, and UT New Music Ensemble, engaging with large-scale contemporary repertoire such as Alejandro Viñao’s Patterns and Forms, John Corigliano’s Circus Maximus, and David Maslanka’s Symphony No. 8. He also serves as timpanist with the UT Symphony Orchestra, performing major works such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10.

His work focuses on marimba performance within contemporary contexts, with interests spanning solo, chamber, and interdisciplinary collaboration.