Ashley Vandiver

violin/viola

Known for her versatility as both a violinist and violist, Ashley Vandiver has performed in more than 30 countries on five continents. She’s currently the fourth-chair viola in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and she’s a violinist in The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra during the summer. Prior to joining the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, she was a violinist in the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.

Vandiver was a founding member of and rotating concertmaster for the Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra A Far Cry, which The New York Times praised for “[brimming] with personality or better, personalities, many and varied.” She’s also performed regularly with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, and the New York City–based orchestra The Knights.

 

Vandiver has performed at chamber music and orchestral festivals across North America and Europe, including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Ravinia, Schleswig-Holstein, Yellow Barn, and Verbier, where she held the position of principal second violin in the festival’s orchestra.

As an educator, Vandiver has served on the violin faculties of the University of Ottawa, Wellesley College, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Project STEP, a training program for children from underrepresented Boston communities. She’s also been an adjudicator for Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, and she’s taught at Axis Music, a tuition-free music program for children and youth living in Toronto Community Housing.

Ashley Vandiver graduated from the New England Conservatory with distinction in performance and went on to earn her master-of-music degree from the Royal Conservatory in the Netherlands. She’s a recipient of the Commission of the Yellow Rose of Texas, the highest civilian honor conferred by the governor of Texas in recognition of Texas women who’ve demonstrated outstanding community service.