Linda Kirkwood
The RPO mourns the passing of violist Linda Kirkwood, January 19, 2012.
Instrument: Viola
With the RPO since: 1989
Favorite time of year in Rochester, and why: Fall, for the foliage on my commute
Hometown: Norwalk, CT
Drink or food you're most likely to order at Java's:
P B & J
When not performing with the RPO, you can find me ... Keeping house & home and staying connected with a large family that is spread coast-to-coast
First music-related memory: Listening to my father play jazz piano
I decided to be a professional musician when ... my high school string teacher encouraged me
Favorite travel destination: Europe
Influential teachers: Harry Zaratzian, Burton Fine, George Neikrug, James Dunham
Favorite ice cream flavor: Chocolate
What are your other "hidden" talents? Folk guitar and landscape photography
Do you teach private students? Yes, at SUNY Geneseo
What other orchestras have you performed with? Syracuse Symphony
Oddest RPO concert memory ... That Martian guy with his plastic clarinet
Favorite restaurant in town: Phillips European, for the desserts
What types of music do you like to listen to? American folk and bluegrass from '50s to present; also Cape Breton style, Cajun and Celtic fiddling and all types of classical music, especially 20th century
Do you have a pet? One large German Shepherd and two barn cats
The RPO is essential to Rochester because ... It makes a huge contribution to Rochester's cultural identity and cultural life
My favorite part of working in the RPO is ... my colleagues
If someone were visiting Rochester, what would you tell them to go see or do? Go to the theatres, Memorial Art Gallery, the Little for art films, the George Eastman House and of course, go to the RPO!
Biography
Linda Kirkwood, a native of Norwalk, Conn., has been performing with the RPO since 1990. She holds a degree from the New England Conservatory where she studied with Burton Fine and a master’s degree from Eastman School of Music, where her teacher was James Dunham. She studied chamber music with members of the Kolisch, Cleveland, Guarneri and Tokyo quartets. She is a founding member of the Tremont Quartet and teaches viola and chamber music at School of the Arts at SUNY Geneseo.
