Cathy Basrak

One of the leading violists of her generation, Cathy Basrak has appeared as soloist with major orchestras in Europe and North America including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Symphonie Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. Born in 1977 in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Ms. Basrak began lessons at age three, and later studied at the Curtis Institute with Michael Tree and Joseph dePasquale. She has also worked with Richard Young, Jeffrey Irvine, and Roland and Almita Vamos. Ms. Basrak holds prizes from many of the world’s leading competitions. She won First Prize in the 1995 Irving M. Klein International String Competition — the first violist ever to do so. Other top honors include the Grand Prize in the 1994 General Motors/Seventeen Magazine National Concerto Competition and the 1996 American String Teacher’s Association Competition, First Prize in both the 1995 William Primrose Memorial Competition and 1995 Julius Stulberg Auditions, and Second Prize in the 46th International Music Competition of the ARD in Munich in 1997. An avid chamber musician, Ms. Basrak has performed at the Marlboro, Norfolk, Kammermusiktage Mettlach, and the Banff Chamber Music Festivals. Cathy Basrak was appointed Assistant Principal Violist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Principal Violist of the Boston Pops in 2000.