Evelina Chao
Evelina Chao, Assistant Principal Violist of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, joined that ensemble in 1980. Also an accomplished violinist, Chao was formerly Acting Concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony, and toured the United States and Europe as first violinist of the Amici Quartet. Chao has appeared as soloist with the National Symphony, Arlington Symphony, Fairfax Symphony, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and has presented recitals at the Phillips Gallery, in Washington, D.C., and in New York. She has also appeared in chamber music concerts with Pinchas Zukerman, Joseph Silverstein, Jaime Laredo, Scholomo Mintz, Yo Yo Ma, Steven Doane, Seyda Ruga Suzuki, and William Preucil. In the summers, Chao has performed at the Grand Teton Music Festival, Strings in the Mountains in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and for the past six years has taught and performed at the Madeline Island Music Camp. In the Twin Cities, Ms. Chao has appeared as guest artist with the Chopin Society, The Musical Offering chamber ensemble, the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota, and Sommerfest. A graduate of the Juilliard School, where she was a scholarship student of Dorothy DeLay and Ivan Galamian, Chao is also a novelist. Her first novel, Gates of Grace, was published in 1985. She completed her second novel in 1990, and is currently at work on a fictional memoir. In 2001, she received certification as a life coach through Coaches Training Institute and established a private practice serving clients to reach their personal and professional goals.