Viola
Violist Samantha Rodriguez is assistant principal viola of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She received her bachelor and master of music degrees, and performer’s certificate at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of George Taylor.
During her time at Eastman, Ms. Rodriguez won a concerto competition and had the privilege of soloing with multiple school ensembles. She then went on to win third chair in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and competed with her viola trio in multiple chamber music competitions. They won second overall at the M.T.N.A. national chamber music competition and were finalists at the prestigious Coleman competition. Samantha also helped a few of her classmates start a music festival in 2009 called the Lakes Area Music Festival in Brainerd, Minnesota. It began with a small group of musicians, but is now a month long festival hosting more than 200 musicians each summer and just celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. She has served as principal violist at LAMF and has been honored to solo with the festival orchestra.
Samantha subs with the Minnesota Orchestra and is the violist of the Ames Piano Quartet.
