Aloysia Friedmann – violin and viola
Praised by The New York Times for her "fiery spirit," Aloysia Friedmann is a violinist and violist whose career spans the concert stage, the recording studio, and musical styles from baroque to Broadway, reinventing the role of the modern performer in the music world. She is Founder and Artistic Director of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, Associate Concertmaster of Houston’s ROCO, founding member of San Diego’s Mainly Mozart Festival, and a frequent performer with the Houston and San Diego symphonies.
Now in its 29th season since its founding by Friedmann in 1998, Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival in Washington State has blossomed into a regional treasure, hosting the world’s top musicians and composers, presenting new works, and engaging with the entire community. The festival has received the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and a CMAcclaim Award. Following the close of the festival’s 30th anniversary summer season in 2027, Friedmann will conclude her tenure as Artistic Director.
She serves on the board of the Houston Music Festival and is a former member of the Houston Grand Opera orchestra. A Houston performance highlight included a solo viola performance of Morton Feldman's Rothko Chapel in the chapel itself. Friedmann has taught as an Affiliate Artist of Viola and Violin at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, has coached at Rice University, and has performed with DACAMERA Houston. Friedmann was also a guest artist at the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin, giving masterclasses, speaking, and performing with the Miró Quartet.
Friedmann was the guest soloist in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall performance of the Handel-Casadesus Viola Concerto conducted by Adam Stern and appeared with Frederica von Stade in the 25th Anniversary Gala of the Noe Valley Chamber Music Series, giving the world première of Meditation by Jake Heggie. Friedmann has performed at the Seattle Chamber Music Society, the Cactus Pear Music Festival, and at festivals in Hong Kong, Ottawa, Portland, Napa Valley, Reno, Maui, San Antonio, Highlands-Cashiers, Sarasota, and Santa Fe. Her chamber music colleagues have included the Montrose Trio, the New Orford Quartet, Peter Schickele, Gary Hoffman, Jeffrey Kahane, the Miró Quartet, Cho-Liang Lin, Chee-Yun, Alisa Weilerstein, Gabriel Kahane, and Lynn Harrell. She has toured the Pacific Northwest, Vietnam, and France with her husband, pianist Jon Kimura Parker, and the two appeared on KING-FM Rhine and Danube River Cruises with Earthbound Expeditions. In December 2018, Friedmann was named a Musical America Top Professional of the Year, and she previously served as a board member of Chamber Music America.
While living in New York City, Friedmann made her Carnegie Hall recital debut and performed with many of the city's most prestigious ensembles, including the Orchestra of St. Luke's, with whom she recorded with composer Astor Piazzolla and soprano Renée Fleming; the American Symphony Orchestra; and with conductors including John Adams, Roger Norrington, André Previn, and Robert Shaw. She also served as concertmaster of The Fairfield Orchestra.
Friedmann's crossover credits include performances with Metallica at Madison Square Garden, on "The Who Hits Back!" tour in Houston, and on The Eagles' "Hotel California" tour in San Diego. Her television appearances include several Live from Lincoln Center productions, notably one with Jessye Norman, and a Saturday Night Live episode with Luciano Pavarotti. Broadway credits include an onstage role alongside Dustin Hoffman in The Merchant of Venice, as well as hundreds of performances of Crazy for You, Candide, and A Christmas Carol.
Friedmann studied with Emanuel Zetlin at the University of Washington and with Margaret Pardee and Ivan Galamian at The Juilliard School. She plays on a Grancino violin and the ex-Rebecca Clarke Grancino viola, both made in Milan in the late 1600s.
She is married to concert pianist Jon "Jackie" Kimura Parker, and their daughter, Sophie, is a visual artist and a graduate of Rice University. Friedmann enjoys eating great meals with her family – especially sushi – traveling, and walking their dog, Ricky. For additional information, please visit aloysiafriedmann.com.
(CURRENT FALL 2026)
