HOLLY GUTIERREZ

(viola~violin)

Originally from Pennsylvania, Holly started on the violin at age 10. Later discovering her passion for viola, Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance on Viola, with a minor on Violin, from Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she studied with Stanley Chepaitis. She was also mentored by, and profoundly influenced by Raul Fuare. Holly was selected to be the first student to participate in the school’s exchange program with the Akademija za Glásbo (Academy of Music) in Ljubljana, Slovenia. There, she studied Viola with Mile Kosi who was flown in every week from Germany specifically to teach her.

Holly has played with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, Altoona Symphony Orchestra, IUP Faculty Quartet, and the Chamber Orchestra of the Alleghenies. She has played throughout the United States and Canada with amazing musicians and conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Andrés Cárdenas, Istvan Jaray, and Scott Laird.

Holly’s favorite career moments have been performing at Carnegie Hall, playing for the President of Slovenia, travelling to Croatia to perform, and playing in such amazing venues as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Kentuck Knob home and the beautiful beaches of Bald Head Island. Holly currently resides in historic New Bern, NC where she teaches violin and viola lessons, and performs within the community, including Principal Violist with the New Bern Civic Strings and the Crystal Coast Quartet.