Stephanie Block, viola

Stephanie Block is a second-year Viola Fellow at the New World Symphony. Praised by the Sarasota Observer as “exceptionally talented” and “a virtuosic performer,” she has performed as a soloist with several Chicago-area symphonies and recently gave the U.S. premiere of Alejandro Cardona’s Sweet Tijuana: Danzas Fronterizas for Viola and Orchestra with the New Juilliard Ensemble. Ms. Block has served as Principal Viola with the Juilliard Orchestra, Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra and Sarasota Music Festival Orchestra. She also holds a gold medal from the Junior Division of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Ms. Block was recently selected to participate in the inaugural Keston MAX London Symphony Orchestra Fellowship through the Music Academy of the West and will be playing with the London Symphony in January 2019. 

Ms. Block has worked with several renowned chamber musicians, including Michael Tree, Shmuel Ashkenasi and Ralph Kirshbaum, as well as the Brentano, Borromeo and Miró quartets. She has worked under conductors Gustavo Dudamel, Jaap van Zweden, Stéphane Denève, Elim Chan and Larry Rachleff. She also has a passion for jazz music and performed with Wynton Marsalis at Dizzy’s Jazz Club: Coca-Cola in New York as part of Daniel Chmielinski’s group Four by Four. 

Born in Barrington, Illinois, Ms. Block received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School under Heidi Castleman, Hsin-Yun Huang, Misha Amory and Cynthia Phelps.   

A survivor of the rare cancer Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, Ms. Block organized a benefit concert to raise money for the Histiocytosis Association and is committed to continuing fundraising through her music. Outside of music, she is an accomplished runner and triathlete. She has been an age group winner in the Girls’ Best Friend and Chicago Supersprint Triathlons and a top prizewinner in the Chicago Triathlon.