Portland-based violinist-looper, vocalist, and community organizer Joe Kye discharges worlds of emotion with his lush string loops and eclectic style. From viral TikTok jingles skewering microaggressions to delivering keynote speeches about creativity, community, and identity, Joe’s work taps into an inner core, inspiring audiences to compassion and empathy. Drawing upon his immigrant upbringing, Kye weaves together electronic and acoustic textures, catchy melodies, and vocals to uplift and empower listeners. His band, Joe Kye & the Givers, features some of Portland’s most acclaimed musicians, supercharging Joe’s music with intensity and power. His works have been commissioned by Resonance Ensemble, the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery, and the Woori Show, a Korean-American children’s show. Kye has opened for Yo-Yo Ma, recorded a Tedx Talk, and been featured on NPR programs like Livewire and The World.

Kye is currently developing a show titled through-lineage, a one-person show about his grandfather, a North Korean refugee and escaped prisoner-of-war. He’s also working on a new solo music project, Joseph in the Well.

“You’re a different kind of doctor. A soul doctor.” - A Filipino Mom