October 25, 2007
Watras to perform Oct. 30
UW faculty violist Melia Watras will perform at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, in Meany Theater. She is joined by pianist Kimberly Russ in the Shostakovich Viola Sonata, the final masterwork by the great Soviet composer. She will also perform J.S. Bach’s Suite No. 6, a piece by Dan Visconti, and works by violin virtuosi Fritz Kreisler and Henryk Wieniawski.
Described as “staggeringly virtuosic” by The Strad, violist Melia Watras has been hailed by audiences and critics alike for her electrifying and vibrant performances. She enjoys a multifaceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and recording artist.
Watras has performed in many of the nation’s leading venues, including Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and has appeared as a soloist with renowned violist Atar Arad in performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6. A versatile performer, Watras made her dance debut at the Merce Cunningham Studio in New York City, where she played viola and danced in the premiere of Kathryn Sullivan’s At Home.
Long at the forefront of the American new music scene, Watras has performed numerous commissions and world premieres as a soloist and co-founder of the award- winning Corigliano Quartet (www.coriglianoquartet.com). With the Corigliano Quartet, she has concertized extensively throughout the United States and abroad, performing to much critical acclaim.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Watras began her musical studies on the piano at age 5. Soon after, she turned to the viola, and made her debut at age 16, soloing with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. While still in high school, Watras drew attention by winning the National Wendell Irish Award. Her formal studies took her to Indiana University, where she studied with Abraham Skernick and Atar Arad, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees and the prestigious Performer’s Certificate. While at Indiana, Watras served as Professor Arad’s assistant for many years, and was a member of the faculty as a Visiting Lecturer. She went on to study chamber music at the Juilliard School, while also teaching there as an assistant to the Juilliard String Quartet. Watras then served as Musical Artist in Residence at Dickinson College and on the faculty of the New York Youth Symphony Chamber Music Program.
In 2004, Watras was appointed Assistant Professor of Viola at the University of Washington, where she teaches viola and chamber music. Watras currently resides in Seattle with her husband, Corigliano Quartet violinist Michael Jinsoo Lim. She plays a viola made by Samuel Zygmuntowicz.
Tickets for the concert are $15, $10 for students and seniors, and are available at the door.
