Kathryn Plummer Home Page
|
|
Kathryn Plummer Phone: 615-322-7651 |
|
|
Kathryn Plummer
Kathryn Plummer, violist, is widely recognized for
her recital artistry throughout the United States and Europe. Ms. Plummer is a
Professor of Viola and a member of the String
Department at the Blair School
of Music, Vanderbilt University
and was an associate professor at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Oberlin
College. In 1992, she was featured in "The Contribution of Women to the
Art of Viola Performance in the 20th Century" as part of a national
conference held at Western Kentucky University.
Solo and Chamber Music Performances
She has performed as soloist at the National Gallery of Art
in Washington, D.C., on National Public Radio, and in Alice Tully Hall. She
gave the world premier of the Alan Shulman Variations for Viola, Harp and
Strings at the XIV International Viola Congress. Ms. Plummer was a featured
soloist with the 1995 XXIII International Viola Congress. She has performed
with the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society in Washington, DC and each summer
performs with the Festival der Zukunft in
Ernen, Switzerland. She is a frequent guest artist with the Anchorage Music
Festival, the Sitka Summer Music Festival, and the Autumn and Winter Classics
Series in Alaska. Ms. Plummer has taught and performed with the Curs
Internacional de Musica de Vic (Spain) and the Wahlwieser Musikwochen Festival
(Germany ) and performed with the Richardson Chamber Music Festival (Dallas),
the Seattle Chamber Music Festival and the St. Cere Festival (France). She is a
frequent guest artist at the University of Notre Dame where her twin sister
Carolyn Plummer is Associate Professor of Violin. As former violist of the
Blair String Quartet, she recorded several highly acclaimed albums and
presented several world premiers including Debussy Quartet, Mendelssohn Quartet Op. 12, Ginastera Quartet No. 1, Proto
Quartet No. 1, Harris Quartet No. 3, Harris Piano Quintet, Harris Viola
Quintet, Thomson Stabat Mater and the Piston Piano Quintet.
Education and Orchestral Experience
She studied with David Dawson at Indiana University and with Walter Trampler at the Juilliard School of Music; further chamber music and master class studies with William Primrose. As a student at the Aspen Music Festival, she studied with Samuel Rhodes and Martha Katz. She was Assistant Principal Violist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Principal Violist with the Aspen Chamber Symphony and the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra. She was the Acting Principal Violist of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra Classical Series during its 1995-1996 season.
Adjudicator
Ms. Plummer is an
active adjudicator throughout the
Tuesday Morning Music
Club String Competition,
Recordings
Ms. Plummer has
recorded for the Orpheus, Red Mark, Varese Sarabande, Pantheon, and Gasparo
labels. Her live performance of the Telemann Viola Concerto from the Festival
der Zukunft was issued on CD.
She plays a 17
inch viola made by Giovanni Grancino in 1707 in Milan
Solo Reviews
The
New York Times "an especially vibrant and sonorous
viola"
The Strad "a highlight of the Congress"
Musical America "stellar"
Cincinnati Enquirer "she played with lovely artistry"
Indiana Daily Student "brilliant playing"
Other Musical Interests
- Ms. Plummer is especially interested in developing exercises, methods and tools that allow string players to safely and efficiently increase their technical abilities. In 1994 she received a US Patent for her invention The Practice Bow. This unique device enables students to better learn how to draw the bow in a parallel path to the bridge. For more detailed information about The Practice Bow, go to The Practice Bow page. For more detailed information about The Fingerboard, go to Plummer's New Inventions Homepage.To view a movie of the Bow in action, click here.
- Ms. Plummer is a member and
contributor to the American Viola Society, Music Teachers National Association
and the American String Teachers Association. In spring 2007, her student
Christopher Lowry won the 1st prize in the viola junior
division at the National ASTA Solo Competition in
- For those of you with small hands visit Ms. Plummer's Viola Hand Positions pages.
· Interested in a great scale book, new viola compositions and the Poly Pad, go to Michael Kimber's homepage page.
Go to the Vanderbilt University page. Go to the Blair School of Music page.