Biography

When I was six, I first saw the choir director at my church playing her fiddle and was having such fun that I wanted to play violin too. For my 7th birthday, my parents bought me a violin and started me in private lessons. I absorbed as much as I could that first year, attending my very first symphony concert where they performed Peter and the Wolf and learned about the world of classical music.

After elementary school, I applied to be in the local youth ensemble on violin but completely choked during the audition. At the start of the school year, I was given the opportunity to play viola instead in the orchestra, which I accepted immediately. The first rehearsal, I had no idea how to even read the music, but I was determined to do the best I could. By the next concert, I won first chair in the section, to the chagrin of the other members. The more I played viola, the more I fell in love with the gorgeous chocolate sound and soon switched to viola completely.

In high school, I began honing the idea of being a professional musician more clearly. I attended the Meadowmount School of Music one summer, where one was required to practice five hours every day for seven weeks. It was much more work than I ever anticipated, but it solidified the call that music could and would be a career for me. The following summer, I participated in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States through Carnegie Hall. After three weeks of intensive rehearsals, we performed on a tour through Europe and sparked my love of travel and exploring new places. As high school came to a close, I decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in music at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Toward the end of my studies at university, I began taking auditions at professional orchestras across the world, traveling from Norway and Scotland to San Diego and San Francisco. After reaching semi-finals and finals for several positions, I felt burnt out from the audition circuit and needed a pause from the intensity that job auditions require. After receiving my degree, I spent the next year managing a coffee shop in downtown Denver while teaching violin and viola and performing as principal violist of the Lakewood Symphony.

In my free time, I love spending time outside hiking, camping, and skiing. I also love cuddling up with crafts alongside my enormous cat, Frosty.