Jane Mitchell, Associate Principal Viola
Evangeline R. Haarlow Chair
Jane Mitchell received her Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory and her Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music. She studied with Peter Slowik and Ettore Causa.
Jane joined the Naples Philharmonic in 2017 after completing a three-year fellowship with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. Prior to moving to Florida, she was a member of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra for two years.
In the summer, she performs with the Britt Orchestra in Jacksonville, Oregon. She has participated in numerous other summer festivals, including the Tanglewood Music Center, the Lucerne Festival Academy, the Britten Pears Young Artist Program, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, the Pacific Music Festival and the Sarasota Music Festival.
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The facts:
I grew up in central Wisconsin, and I studied at the Oberlin Conservatory and the Yale School of Music. I spent three years playing with New World Symphony in Miami Beach, and then I joined the Naples Philharmonic in 2017.
What has been your most memorable moment with the orchestra?
When Kian Soltani performed Dvořák’s cello concerto with us in early 2020, he invited the whole cello section to accompany him during his encore. It was an absolute joy to sit onstage and listen to that surprise collaboration.
What inspired you to become a musician?
When some 5-year-old violinists performed for my preschool class, I was amazed and told my parents that I wanted to do that, too!
What is the most enjoyable part of your job?
I’m going to name two: I love when we have soloists performing with us; I can hear very clearly from my spot on-stage, so it’s like having a front row seat. And I love playing chamber music with my colleagues.
What’s challenging about playing your instrument?
Violists hardly ever get to play the melody. That means that we need to know the score really well in order to accompany whoever does have the melody. We need to be listening and reacting constantly.
What are your favorite compositions?
The list is always changing, but here are some perennial favorites: Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, Britten’s Peter Grimes and all of Beethoven’s string quartets.
What have you been listening to recently?
I’ve been listening to audiobooks, podcasts and repertoire for upcoming performances.
Are there other musicians in your immediate family?
My dad plays guitar and sings, and my brother plays many instruments including guitar, cello and violin. And my husband is a clarinetist!
What do you like to do outside of work?
I enjoy running, reading, traveling, baking and teaching my viola and violin students.