Violist Geraldine Walther Joins Colburn School Faculty as Interim Director of Chamber Music

(Friday, April 16, 2021, Los Angeles) – The Colburn School is pleased to announce that violist Geraldine Walther will join the Colburn School faculty as Interim Director of Chamber Music for the Colburn Conservatory of Music, beginning August 2021. Walther will oversee strings and piano chamber music, and will also be featured on the Colburn Chamber Music Society series in the 2021-22 season.

An international search for a permanent director of chamber music will begin immediately for a fall 2022 start date.

Walther succeeds current Director of Chamber Music and violinist Scott St. John, who has led the chamber music program for the Conservatory of Music and pre-college Music Academy since 2018. During his tenure, St. John developed and led the Beethoven 250 Celebration, a six-day festival built around the composer’s beloved string quartets, in collaboration with fellow Colburn faculty member and violinist Arnold Steinhardt, and mentored the Viano Quartet, the Colburn School’s first Ensemble-in-Residence, who recently joined the illustrious Opus 3 roster.

“It has truly been an honor to coach the motivated and talented Colburn School students in their chamber music pursuits,” said St. John. “I give my heartfelt thanks to the terrific staff at Colburn, to Dean Lee Cioppa, and to my colleagues who work hard to support the school.”

“Scott has made so many incredible contributions to the Conservatory during his time on the faculty,” said Lee Cioppa, Dean of the Conservatory of Music. “We wish him all the best in the next phase of his life and career which will allow him to spend more time with his family in Canada. Geraldine’s exceptional experience as an educator and performing artist will continue to uphold the School’s collaborative culture of chamber music and virtuosic teaching at the heart of the Colburn School experience.”

The Colburn School is known as a top talent-producing school for today’s most renowned chamber music ensembles, including the Grammy-nominated Calder Quartet; the Calidore String Quartet, winners of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant; and the Viano String Quartet, who won first prize at the Banff International Quartet Competition and third prize at the 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition.

About Geraldine Walther
Former violist of the Takács String Quartet and former principal violist of the San Francisco Symphony, Geraldine Walther previously served as assistant principal of the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Miami Philharmonic, and the Baltimore Symphony. During her tenure with the San Francisco Symphony, she was soloist with the orchestra 47 times and gave the U.S. premieres of several important works. She has appeared in many chamber music festivals including: Aspen, Marlboro, Santa Fe, Tanglewood, Music@Menlo, Telluride, Seattle, Cape Cod, Music Academy of the West, Ravinia and the Green Music Festival. Ms. Walther was selected by Sir Georg Solti as a member of his Musicians of the World, an orchestra composed of leading musicians from around the globe, for concerts in Geneva to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. She has also served as principal violist with the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego and has performed as soloist with other orchestras.

As a member of the Takács Quartet she traveled the world as a performer and served an artist in residence at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Geraldine Walther’s recordings include eighteen recordings as a member of the Takács String Quartet (Hyperion), Hindemith’s Trauermusik and Der Schwanendreher with the San Francisco Symphony (London/Decca), Paul Chihara’s Golden Slumbers with the San Francisco Chamber Singers (Albany), Lou Harrison’s Threnody (New Albion), Delectable Pieces with the Volkert Trio (Con Brio), and numerous recordings available from Music@Menlo LIVE. With collaborator, pianist David Korevaar, she had recorded two albums of viola sonatas, one featuring Brahms and the other featuring works of Hindemith on the MSR label. Walther is a founding artist of the Ruby Mountain Chamber Music Festival and the Chamber Music Sundaes series in the San Francisco Bay Area.

About the Colburn School
A performing arts institution located in the heart of Los Angeles, the Colburn School trains students from beginners to those about to embark on professional careers. The academic units of the School provide a complete spectrum of music and dance education united by a single philosophy: that all who desire to study music or dance should have access to top-level instruction.

  • The Community School of Performing Arts welcomes students of all ages, from seven months old to adults. It offers over 120 classes each year in orchestral instruments, piano, guitar, voice, jazz, music theory, drama, and ensembles including orchestra, choir, and chamber music.
  • The diploma- and degree-granting Conservatory of Music is distinguished by a unique all-scholarship model, renowned faculty, and outstanding performance opportunities. It prepares the very highest level of collegiate musicians for professional careers.
  • The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute develops performers of all levels, from aspiring professionals in the Dance Academy to beginners starting in Youth Dance. Students of all levels receive training in ballet, tap, musical theater, and modern genres as part of a comprehensive dance education.
  • The Music Academy is a highly selective training program for gifted young pre-collegiate musicians, designed to prepare students for conservatory study and performing careers at the highest levels of achievement. This residential program balances performance, musical instruction, and academics.
  • Created to serve all units of the School, the Center for Innovation and Community Impact empowers the musical and dance leaders of tomorrow by nurturing students’ passion and ability to serve their communities, preparing them for sustainable careers, and embracing the development of new ideas. The Center embodies Colburn’s commitment to developing young artists with the curiosity, skills, and commitment to make a difference in their field.

Each year, more than 2,000 students from around the world come to Colburn to benefit from the renowned faculty, exceptional facilities, and focus on excellence that unites the community. Learn more at www.colburnschool.edu.

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PR Contacts:
Jennifer Kallend
jkallend@colburnschool.edu
215-622-6195

Lisa Bellamore
lbellamore@gmail.com
323-500-3071

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