I grew up in the Twin Cities and started playing viola when I was 5 years old. I never played the violin, but my younger sister did and the thinking at that time was that siblings would be too competitive if they played the same instrument. So I started on the viola from the very beginning.

I credit my amazing teachers for the gift of being a violist, especially Stella Anderson at the MacPhail Center for Music. I went to St. Olaf College and then Rice University for my Masters, and stayed in Houston for almost ten years, where I fell in love with Texas forever!

I’ve taught students of all ages and levels. Many of my students have won seats in the Texas All-State Orchestra and earned scholarships to play viola in college. I love helping students get ready for auditions!

Prior to relocating to Austin, I performed across the Pacific Northwest as a member of the Northwest Sinfonietta, a chamber orchestra based in Seattle, Tacoma, and Puyallup, Washington, and regularly appeared with the Seattle Modern Orchestra. In Seattle, I was also a member of Scrape, an experimental jazz orchestra founded by avant garde composer Eyvind Kang and jazz great Jim Knapp, premiering dozens of new works with noted collaborators such as Jherek Bischoff, Bill Frisell and Jay Clayton. Scrape’s first full-length recording, Approaching Yvones, was released in 2013 on the Origin Classical label.

Over the years, I’ve had some amazing experiences playing in orchestras, classical and otherwise… I’ve appeared with Alice in Chains, Heart, Cut Chemist, Judy Collins, Bill Frisell, Ronnie Milsap, Michael Bolton, Jherek Bischoff, Soko, Mirah, Dana Falconberry, Zeale, Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater, The Rocketboys, Christopher Cross, and more.

My husband teaches 8th grade science and math at HCMS and coaches for Westlake Lacrosse.

Experience

Barton Strings, viola, 2013-
Austin Opera, extra musician, 2014-
Austin Symphony, substitute, 2014-
San Antonio Symphony, substitute, 2013-
Houston Ballet Orchestra, 2000-2007; 2013-
Northwest Sinfonietta, section viola, 2007-
Seattle Modern Orchestra, 2011-2013
Scrape, section viola, 2010-2013
Tacoma Symphony, section viola, 2007-2010
Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, 2000-2007
Houston Symphony, substitute, 2001
OrchestraX, associate principal, 2001
Rice University Symphony, 1998-2000
Victoria Bach Festival, Victoria, Texas, 2001-2004
The Woodlands Symphony Orchestra, principal viola, 1998-2004
Texas Music Festival, principal viola, 1999
Galveston Symphony, section viola, 2002
Symphony of Southeast Texas, 1999-2001
Minnesota Opera Orchestra, 1997-98
Plymouth Music Series, 1997-98
St. Olaf Orchestra, principal viola, 1994-1998

Freelance Engagements

Seattle Choral Company
Pacific Lutheran University Choral Union, Richard Nance, conductor
Richard Brown Swing Orchestra & String Ensemble
Dave Zeger Entertainment
Houston Masterworks Chorus
700+ weddings in Houston area since 1998

Education

Rice University, M.M. viola performance, 2000
National Orchestral Institute, Washington, D.C, 2000
St. Olaf College, B.M. viola performance, 1998

Private Study

Karen Ritscher, Rice University, 1998-2001
Martha Katz, 1998-2000
Wayne Brooks, Orchestral Repertoire, 1998-2000
Kenneth Freed, Minnesota Orchestra, 2000
Charles Gray, St. Olaf College, 1994-1998
Korey Konkol, Minnesota Orchestra, 1994
Stella Anderson, 1983-1994

Community

Board Member, Northwest Sinfonietta, 2011-2013
Northwest Sinfonietta Orchestra Committee, 2010-2012
Snoqualmie Valley Strings, Development Committee, 2008
Board Member, Dance Houston, 2006-2007
Houston Youth Symphony, viola coach, 2002-2004