Matt Richardson
Matt Richardson is a Freelance Violinist/Violist and teacher in the DC Metropolitan area. He frequently performs with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, The National Philharmonic, the New Orchestra of Washington, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, The Williamsburg Symphony, Maryland Lyric Opera, the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, among others. Other orchestral experience includes performances with the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, the Virginia Opera, Opera on the James, the Mark Morris Dance Company, the International Chamber Orchestra of Washington, the Castleton Festival, the Cathedral Choral Society Orchestra, the Apollo Orchestra, and the American Festival Pops Orchestra. A frequent chamber musician, Matt is also a founding member of the 9th Street Chamber Music, a new chamber music organization based in the Northern VA area. He can be found performing in numerous DC venues including, The Kennedy Center Concert Hall and Millennium Stage, The Washington National Cathedral, The Music Center at Strathmore, The Lyceum in Old Town Alexandria, The Washington Masonic Memorial, The Church of the Holy City (DC) and many others.
Additionally, Matthew has been an active violin teacher and clinician in the Northern Virginia area since 2007, maintaining a private studio out of his home in Centreville, VA. His students have gone to rank highly in all levels of the American Youth Philharmonic orchestras, the Mclean Youth Orchestra, and the 9th Street Chamber Music String Quartet Intensive program, as well as leading sections in the Northern Virginia and North Central Virginia Senior Regional Orchestras, and the Virginia All-State Orchestra. He has also served on the faculty of the Corcoran Chamber Music Institute at George Washington University since 2014, and the GMU Ovations Summer Strings Academy since 2009. Matt's primary teachers include Peter Haase, Zino Bogachek, Karen Johnson, Weigang Li, and Joseph Wargo.
Michelle Richardson
Michelle Richardson holds a BM and MM from George Mason University where she studied with Dr. Anna Balakerskaia. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree, continuing her studies with Dr. Balakerskaia. Michelle is a sought after soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist in the Metro D.C. Area. Highlights of her solo and chamber performances include her solo debut with the George Mason Symphony Orchestra playing Rachmaninoff's Piano Conerto No. 2, chamber recitals at the Lyceum in Alexandria, the “Music with the Angels” Concert series at the Church of the Holy City, Fairfax County “Spotlight on the Arts” festival, as well as at George Mason's All-Steinway Concerts and ARTS By George series. In the summer of 2010, Michelle was invited to attend the Orfeo International Music Festival in Vipiteno, Italy. There, she was featured on multiple programs as a soloist and was a finalist in the Orfeo International Music Competition. In May of 2013, Michelle was a featured soloist in the GMU School of Music Honors Recital.
In August of 2015 she was faculty on the Corcoran Chamber Music Institute (formerly known as the Summer Piano and Chamber Music Institute at George Washington University). She has served as a graduate lecturer at George Mason University, teaching keyboard classes throughout the year. She also is an active faculty member at the Potomac Arts Academy at George Mason University, where she teaches at summer piano programs, group classes, and maintains a piano studio of all ages throughout the year. In August of 2016 and 2017 she successfully directed the Summer Piano Academy Program, a Potomac Arts Academy summer camp for piano students of various levels that takes place in the School of Music at GMU. Michelle is experienced teaching all levels of piano, and has prepared students for successful auditions to their top choice music schools with scholarship. In addition, she is the church organist at Leesburg Community Church and actively accompanies in the Northern Virginia area.
