Viola Performance

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Background
My interest in sound and hearing derives from over two decades of viola practice and performance. I have studied viola with Patricia McCarty (Boston Conservatory) and Victoria Chiang (Peabody Conservatory), and attended the Meadowmount School of Music, Zephyr International Chamber Music Festival, and the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, where I also served as a counselor and camp director. As an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, I was principal violist of the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra (HSO). In 2012 I was the winner of the HSO concerto competition, performing the Walton viola concerto with the orchestra, and in 2014 I received the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts. During my MPhil at the University of Cambridge, I was a member of the Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra (CUCO), the University's flagship orchestra. I was a member of the MIT Chamber Music Society for seven years, and my coaches included Marcus Thompson, Eugene Kim, Jean Rife, and John Harbison. I am currently a member of the La Jolla Symphony.


Gabriel Faure - Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15

Lawrence Cheuk (Violin), Malinda McPherson (Viola), Nolan Peard (Cello), Ian Counts (Piano), Coached by Marcus Thompson
I. Allegro molto moderato II. Scherzo: Allegro vivo III. Adagio IV. Allegro molto

Maurice Ravel - String quartet in F major

Lawrence Cheuk (Violin 1), Melissa Cao (Violin 2), Malinda McPherson (Viola), Nolan Peard (Cello), Coached by Marcus Thompson
I. Allegro moderato. Très doux II. Assez vif. Très rythmé III. Très lent IV. Vif et agité

Wolfgang A. Mozart - Piano Quartet No. 1, in G minor, K. 478

Lawrence Cheuk (Violin), Malinda McPherson (Viola), Nolan Peard (Cello), Ian Counts (Piano), Coached by John Harbison
I. Allegro II. Andante III. Rondo (Allegro moderato)

William Walton - Viola Concerto

Performance with the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra
I. Andante comodo

Hiking & Backpacking

I have been a certified Wilderness First Responder since 2011, when I completed the course as part of my training to become an outdoor rock climbing instructor and freshman pre-orientation trip leader with Outdoor Pursuits at Johns Hopkins University. I love spending time finding new trails and learning more about safely exploring the backcountry.
Each year for almost a decade, my sister and I have challenged ourselves to plan and complete a 65-100 mile backpacking trip. We have managed to hike some of the world’s classic trails, and have many more on our list!

Wind River Range, Wyoming

Titcomb Basin and segments of the Highline Trail (Continental Divide Trail). Hiked in August 2022.

Arctic Circle Trail, Greenland

92 Miles along the Arctic Circle, from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut. Hiked in August 2021.

Eqi Glacier
Icebergs
Icecap
Russell Glacier
Sisimiut
Ilulissat
Ilulissat Sunset

White Mountains, New Hampshire

My 'home' range. I have completed most of the 'New Hampshire 48 4000 footers', and backpacked extensively throughout the range. Photos from 2019-2021.

Mt. Cannon
Stream by Mt. Isolation
Presidential Range
Wild Cranberries and Blueberries
Fall Foliage
View from Owls Head
Mt. Eisenhower
View to Mt. Washington

Henry's Lake Mountains & Centennial Valley, Montana

Isle of Skye Trail, Scotland

Hike from the south to the north of the island, 2018

Teton Crest Trail, Wyoming

2017

Kungsleden, Sweden

Hiked from Abisko to Nikkaluokta, 2016