Kristin Figard, Viola

Biography

Kristin Figard graduated from Northwestern University
with a Bachelor's degree in Viola Performance and Harpsichord Maintenance and Studies and a Master's degree in Viola Performance. She studied Viola with Almita and Roland Vamos and Harpsichord with Stephen Alltop. Kristin currently performs with the ArsViva Symphony Orchestra and the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra. In 2008 Kristin performed the American premier of Yuri Falik's Lyrical Concertino for viola and orchestra with the Northwestern University Chamber Orchestra. The spring of 2007 found her performing at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C on the viola as one of five students chosen for their University Student Showcase. In 1997 she was invited as one of four Americans to participate in the semi-final round of the 3rd International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition for Young Musicians.

In 2006 Kristin won the Samuel and Elinor Thaviu String Scholarship Competition. She also performed Alexander Tchaikovsky's Distant Dreams of Childhood for Violin and Viola with her sister, Tracy, on the violin at the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin. From 2003-2004 Kristin was Principal violist of the Lion King orchestra for Broadway in Chicago. As the 2001 First Prize Viola winner of the Holland-America Music Society Competition, she performed on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series and the Live from Studio One Series both broadcast live on WFMT. She and her sister also recorded their first CD on the Holland-America Music Society label.  Kristin performed both the Karl Stamitz and J. C. Bach Viola Concertos with the Highland Park Strings. She won the college division of the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation of Chicago in 2001, just one year after winning the high school division in 2000, as well as winning the college division of the Chicago Viola Society Competition. 

In the year 2000, Kristin won the Highland Park Music Club Scholarship
Competition and the Evanston Music Club Scholarship Competition both on
the Viola.  She performed the Bloch Suite for Viola and Orchestra (1919) with the Skokie Valley Symphony, the Bartok Viola Concerto with the Evanston Symphony, and Mozart's Symphonia Concertante with the North Suburban Symphony with her sister Tracy on the Violin.  During this year she was the Principal Violist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

In 1999, Kristin performed Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2 with both the Evanston Symphony and the Ars Viva! Symphony Orchestra. On Viola, she received the Collins Award of the American Opera Society of Chicago, and the First Prize of the Musicians Club of Women Scholarship Competition.  She was awarded First Prize on Viola in the 18th Annual Kingsville International Young Performers Competition.