I hope that if you are reading this, that you have been having a great summer! I have been in the thick of things this summer, having been a part of several rewarding performances. I apologize for being a bit quiet, but part of me has been trying to be present in the moments around me! I also wanted to share a few upcoming concerts that I will be a part of later this month (and getting into September).

As I sit here with some coffee, musing over whether the sun will come back out today, or if we are destined for another rainy weekend in New York, I wanted to share with you a few concerts that I will be involved with in the coming weeks. More may come up, but here are some of the ones that I am pretty excited about!

After having an amazing experience this past spring with the Spring Viola Audition workshops, I am thrilled to announce this year's Summer Viola Workshops. I will be bringing them back to the National Opera Center, which is an excellent centrally located. In the spring had the chance to work with a few really talented high schoolers (all of whom came to ACSM's Viola Day) and a grad student composer who was polishing her skills as a violist for future auditions.

One of the perks of this time of the year, apart from chances to go hiking with friends on days off, or getting to go running along the water (both of which I had the chance to do over the last 48 hours), is the opportunity to reflect on some of the successes of the past year. I particularly enjoyed the solo recital tour I did last fall, which included two performances in NYC, one at the University of Northern Iowa, and also in Cambridge, MA.

As I pine for the warmth of summer on this cold, dreary day, I am writing to let the world know that I have some room for a few serious viola students this summer! While my calendar is quickly filling up with fun activities, I plan to reserve space for talented violists who want to work hard and explore the viola.

Well, I think at this point it is safe to say that we are officially in spring, with no turning back on the cold weather of winter (at least not until November or so here in NYC)! The past week or so has been quite the whirlwind, complete with several performances, the Undergraduate Degree recital of one of my Queens College students, which was quite superb!

Remembering Kara Lynn Williams (1992-2010) I wanted to share with you a project that has been on my mind, and in my heart for quite awhile. "Two Pages for Kara," was a piece written by one of my dearest friends, composer Anthony R. Green in 2011, a little over a year after my younger sister Kara Lynn Williams passed away. This piece was one of several outlets in the years since my sister passed in which I was able to channel my grief.

I hope your spring has been a relatively peaceful one so far. It has been a busy couple of weeks, and they are about to ratchet up even more as I have several exciting performances looming on the horizon! The first performance will be taking place next Sunday with the Canterbury Choral Society, with their performance of St. John's Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach.

I have been admittedly quiet the last few weeks on the various forms of Social Media, including here. A lot of that has to do with trying to make the most of my time just "doing the work" with my nose to the grindstone, and trying to make the most of the positive changes in weather! Over the past few weeks I have been implementing my first ever Spring Viola Workshops which have been hosted at Opera America.

German violinist Christian Tetzlaff has cancelled an eight-city tour of the United States with his quartet this spring in protest over the Trump administration and its policies, according to the <a hr...

This spring, I am thrilled to announce that I will be hosting a series of Viola Audition Bootcamps, taking place at Opera America, 330 7th Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY (a 5 minute walk from Penn Station). These workshops will be taking place on Saturday March 22nd, April 12th, and April 26th (from 10:00am-12:00pm). These workshop will be in person, and available to all serious viola students (High School students Grades 9 and up, College, and young emerging violists) who are looking to workshop their audition materials for upcoming auditions.

Monday night’s concert with the Golden Williams Duo & Friends was really a special evening! Diana Golden and I had a ton of fun collaborating with several incredible violists and cellists…

Welcome to the application form for the 4th Annual Aaron Copland School of Music Viola Day held at Queens College! Please fill out the form below. Event Timing: Wednesday, February 19th, 2025, 10:00a...