Violinist Pauline Kempf is a dedicated educator and performer based in San Francisco, committed to developing young musicians through both private instruction and ensemble coaching. She currently serves on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College division, where she coaches chamber ensembles and leads the Youth Baroque Ensemble. She is also a guest conductor and a string coach with California Youth Symphony and maintains an active private studio, working with students of all levels.

Kempf has held previous teaching positions at the DePaul University Community Music Division in Chicago and has appeared as a guest artist and educator at Walla Walla University and Stetson University. Her teaching emphasizes stylistic awareness, technical foundation, and collaborative musicianship, drawing on her extensive experience in both modern and period performance practices.

She is also the Artistic Director of Ensemble Affect, a San Francisco–based early music ensemble, dedicated to promoting historical performance in a creative and accessible way. Her work with Ensemble Affect reflects a commitment to mentorship, creative programming, and fostering meaningful engagement between performers and audiences.

As a performer, Kempf appears regularly with orchestras including the Santa Rosa Symphony, One Found Sound, and collaborates with leading period instrument ensembles such as Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Cantata Collective and American Bach Soloists.

Kempf holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, along with advanced degrees from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the University of Music of Geneva, and a Professional Studies Certificate in Baroque Violin from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.