Jonah Sirota, Viola The Chiara String Quartet Assistant Research Professor and Artist-in-Residence, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 002 Westbrook Music Building Lincoln, Nebraska 68588 (402) 472-6862 Cell (917) 664-4296 [email protected]
EDUCATION *Artist Diploma, String Quartet Studies, The Juilliard School, New York, NY, May 2005. Advisors: The Juilliard String Quartet.
M.M. Viola Performance, The Juilliard School, New York, NY, May 2000. Major teacher: Samuel Rhodes.
B.M. Viola Performance, magna cum laude, Rice University, Houston, TX, May 1998. Major teachers: Martha Katz, Roberto Diaz, Wayne Brooks.
Preparatory Studies, Juilliard Pre-College Division, New York, NY, 1992-1994.
FESTIVAL STUDY Yellow Barn Music School and Festival (2002*, 1999) Aspen Center for Advanced Quartet Studies (2001*, 1996*) Marlboro Chamber Music (2000) Norfolk Yale Summer School of Music (1997)
HONORS / AWARDS
*WNYC "Best of 2007," New York, NY. *Seattle Post-Intelligencer "Best of 2007," Seattle, WA. Third Prize, 2006 Naumburg Viola Competition, New York, NY. *Winner, 2006 Guarneri Quartet Residency Award, Chamber Music America, New York, NY *Third Prize, 2005 Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition, Reggio, Italy *Winner, 2003-2005 Lisa Arnhold Quartet Residency—Juilliard, New York, NY. *Winner, 2002 Astral Artistic Services National Audition, Philadelphia, PA. *First Prize, 2002 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, South Bend, IN. *Winner, 2000-2002 Chamber Music America Rural Residency Grant, New York, NY. Participant, 2000, Marlboro Chamber Music 50th Anniversary Season, Marlboro, VT. Winner, 1999 Juilliard School Concerto Competition, New York, NY. Winner, 1996 Shepherd School of Music (Rice U.) Concerto Competition, Houston, TX. Winner, 1994 Juillliard Pre-College Concerto Competition, New York, NY. Winner, 1993 Wendell C. Irish Viola Award (National Federation of Music Clubs), ???
TEACHING EXPERIENCE APPOINTMENTS
*with the Chiara String Quartet
Sirota CV, pg. 2 of 5
*Assistant Research Professor and Artist-in-Residence, University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, Lincoln, Nebraska, July 2008- present. Teach private instruction in chamber music and viola to undergraduate and graduate students. Assist in development, implementation, and teaching of new initiatives to increase student chamber music awareness and experience, as well as provide for new student opportunities specifically in the areas of audience outreach and music entrepreneurship. Perform locally and worldwide as representatives of the University of Nebraska.
*Blodgett Artist-in-Residence, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, October 2008 – spring 2011. Perform an annual four-concert series. Teach applied music and chamber music as needed. Be available for composer readings, classroom demonstrations, lectures.
*Artist-in-Residence and Lecturer, University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music in the Hixson- Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, Lincoln, Nebraska, August 2005-June 2008. Teach private instruction in chamber music and viola to undergraduate and graduate students. Assist in development, implementation, and teaching of new initiatives to increase student chamber music awareness and experience, as well as provide for new student opportunities specifically in the areas of audience outreach and music entrepreneurship. Perform locally and worldwide as representatives of the University of Nebraska.
*Lisa Arnhold Resident String Quartet, The Juilliard School, New York, NY, September 2003- May 2005. Coached chamber music at undergraduate and graduate levels. Assisted in teaching of freshman quartet survey performance class. Served as teaching assistant for Samuel Rhodes, violist of the Juilliard String Quartet.
*Adjunct Lecturer in Viola, Department of Music, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, August 2000-May 2002. Taught private lessons in viola performance. Coached chamber music.
Conductor, Greater Grand Forks Junior Symphony Orchestra, Grand Forks, ND, 2000-2002. Conducted, auditioned, and chose repertoire for 30-member youth string orchestra. Performed four different programs.
FESTIVAL TEACHING
*Full-time Faculty, Greenwood Summer Music Camp, Cummington, MA, summer 2006. On faculty to teach viola and chamber performance at a music festival which was awarded a CMA "Citation of Excellence."
*Artist-in-Residence, UNL Chamber Music Institute, Lincoln, NE, summer 2006. Coaching, masterclasses, and a seminar on music entrepreneurship for college-level chamber ensembles and composers.
*Founding Faculty, Red River Chamber Music Festival, Grand Forks, ND, summer 2005, 2006. Help conceive, administrate, and teach inaugural years of a week-long study and performance festival for 16 advanced high school musicians. Week includes student and faculty concerts and intensive coaching and masterclass sessions.
*Faculty, Chamber Music at Snowmass, Snowmass Village, CO, summer 2003, 2004, and 2006. Two-week intensive chamber music program for 32 gifted high school musicians. Chose
*with the Chiara String Quartet
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repertoire, coach 4 quartets daily, give a daily masterclass in chamber music performance and related issues.
*Faculty, Rocky Ridge Music Center, Estes Park, CO, summer 2005. Taught viola and chamber music at an advanced high school and college music festival.
*Guest Artist-in-Residence, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chamber Music Institute, Lincoln, NE, summer 2004. Inaugural summer of a new college-level chamber music institute. Gave daily masterclasses, special workshop on music entrepreneurship.
*Guest Artist-in-Residence, Greenwood Summer Music Camp, Cummington, MA, summer 2002 & 2003. Performed for and coached exceptionally talented high school musicians.
Faculty, Putney Chamber Music Intensive, Putney Village, VT, summer 1999. Taught viola and coached chamber music for gifted young musicians.
*Teaching Assistant, Britt Music Festival Quartet Seminar, Jacksonville, OR, summer 1995. Assistant to the Cavani String Quartet.
MASTERCLASSES (apart from teaching appointments) *Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA, November, 2007. *H.S. for Performing and Visual Arts, Houston, TX, March, 2007. *University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chamber Music Institute, Lincoln, NE, July 2004. Musicorda Summer Chamber Music Festival, South Hadley, MA, July 2004. *Chamber Music at Snowmass, Snowmass Village, CO, summer 2003 and 2004. *Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, March, 2004. Rice University, Houston, TX, November, 2003. *University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati, OH, February, 2003. *University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, February, 2003.
PERFORMANCES SOLO APPEARANCES Yamaha Artist Services Recital, Yamaha Studios, New York, NY, October, 2006. *Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra, Lincoln, NE, September, 2006. *Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Peoria, IL, February, 2006. Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra, Empire Theatre, Grand Forks, ND, March 2001. Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante (double concerto) with Rebecca Fischer, violin. Juilliard Orchestra, Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York, NY, October 1999. Bloch Suite with conductor Sergiu Commissiona. Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra, Stude Hall, Rice University, Houston, TX, February, 1997. Panderecki Viola Concerto (Houston premiere). State Philharmonic of Oradea, Romania, Oradea State Theatre. Premiere of Robert Sirota’s Dark Dances. Juilliard Pre-College Symphony, Juilliard Theatre, Lincoln Center, New York, NY, April 1994. Solo concerto debut of Handel Viola Concerto.
CHAMBER MUSIC / RECITALS
*with the Chiara String Quartet
Sirota CV, pg. 4 of 5
Member of the Chiara String Quartet, 1995-present. Violist of professional, critically acclaimed, award-winning ensemble. Has given performances with the quartet at following venues (selected)*: -Lied Center Kansas (2007) -University of Washington World Series (2007) -Merkin Hall (2007) -Kreeger Gallery (2006) -Mill Valley Chamber Music Society (2006) -University of Colorado-Boulder (2006) -Brown University (2005) -Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (2005) -Bard Music Festival (2004, 2005) -Alice Tully Hall (2004, 2005) -Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall (2004, 2005) -American Academy in Rome (2004) -Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center (2004) -Sanders Theatre at Harvard (2003) -Harris Hall at Aspen Music Festival (2001) -Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (2000) See quartet CV for additional detail.
Lynn Harrell and Friends, summer 2001. Performed in a major chamber concert at Aspen’s Music Tent with cellist Lynn Harrell. New Juilliard Ensemble, 1998-2000. Performed over a dozen new works in concert at Lincoln Center. World Premieres Recital, 1998. Performed a recital at Rice University of all newly commissioned works. Included: A.J. McCaffrey’s Incorrect Memory for viola and piano, Gabriela Lena Frank’s Vineyard Vignettes for viola and piano, and Alexis Bacon’s Summertime Variations for two violas. Ellsworth Milburn’s Ménage, an opera for two sopranos and viola, 1997. Played the stage and music role of the violist in a chamber opera at Stude Hall, Shepherd School of Music. Coordinator and Founding Member, Bread and Circuses New Music Ensemble, 1995-1998. Founded a grass-roots, student new music ensemble at Rice University.
LIVE RADIO PERFORMANCES *"Colorado Spotlight," Colorado Public Radio, Denver, CO, March, 2008. *Kansas Public Radio, Lawrence, KS, January, 2008, November, 2007. *KUHF Houston Public Radio, Houston, TX, November, 2001, January, 2005, January, 2006. *“Soundcheck,” WNYC New York Public Radio, New York, NY, August, 2004. *“Performance Place,” WAMC Northeast Public Radio, Albany, NY, August, 2004. *WVPR Vermont Public Radio, Burlington, VT, August, 2002. *“Performance Today,” National Public Radio, live from Aspen, CO, July, 2001.
SPECIALIZED TRAINING Graphic Design and Print Layout, 2004-present. Produced stunning coordinated print materials for the Chiara String Quartet including a new flyer, demo CD, and business card. Coordinated website layout to match. Designer for the New Voice Singles series of CDs. Arts in Education with Eric Booth, The Juilliard School, New York, NY, 1998-1999. Took a groundbreaking course in the Aesthetic Education model of teaching the arts in preparation for a year of public school classroom outreach.
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Morse Fellowship, The Juilliard School, New York, NY, 1999-2000. Taught two classes of public elementary school music appreciation once a week for a year. Performance Enhancement with Don Greene, The Juilliard School, New York, NY, 1999-2000. Studied performance psychology with a former U.S. Olympic sports psychologist. Bach Performance Class with Sergiu Luca, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Houston, TX, 1997. Studied Bach performance practice with an expert in the field. Radio DJ for KTRU Houston, 1994-1998. Programmed and deejayed a weekly four-hour contemporary classical music show on a 50,000 watt radio station.
For additional information about the Chiara Quartet, please see group CV. References available upon request.
*with the Chiara String Quartet