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 United States. Competitions judged include Corpus Christi International Competition, Juanita Miller Music Competition, Dallas, Texas,

Tuesday Morning Music Club String Competition, San Antonio, Texas, Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and the MTNA Collegiate String Final 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.