Kahauri Brown-Givens is a Chicago based cellist who graduated from Illinois State University in 2026, where he studied cello performance under the tutelage of Dr. Cora Swenson-Lee. Kahauri began playing cello in fourth grade, when El Sistema started a program at his middle school. Kahauri graduated from Chicago High School for the Arts in 2022 at the top of his class, and was a student at Merit School of Music in Chicago IL, graduating in 2022. He served as principal in the Illinois State University symphony orchestra. Kahauri was acknowledged as the honorable mention in the finals of the 2025 competition. In 2026 Kahauri won the concerto competition at Illinois State University playing Haydn’s cello concerto in D Major. As of 2026, Kahauri is a grad student, studying Cello Performance and Literature under Professor David Ying at the Eastman School of Music. In the future, he wants to focus on chamber music, orchestral playing, and private teaching.
