Melissa Reardon, viola
Strings
Renowned for her expressive artistry, Grammy-nominated violist Melissa Reardon performs internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and artistic leader.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jürgen Frank
Grammy-nominated violist Melissa Reardon is an internationally renowned performer whose solo and chamber playing spans all musical genres.
Melissa is a member of the Borromeo String Quartet, Artistic Director of the Portland Chamber Music Festival in Portland, ME, Artist in Residence at Bard College and Conservatory, a faculty member at the New England Conservatory of Music and a founding member of the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO). As a member of the Ensō String Quartet from 2006 until its final season in 2018, Melissa toured both nationally and internationally, with highlight performances in Sydney, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, New York’s Carnegie Hall, and Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center to name a few.
Lauded by Classical Voice for her “elegant” and “virtuosic” performances, the New Hampshire-born musician won first prize at the Washington International Competition, and is the only violist to win top prizes in consecutive HAMS International viola competitions.
A sought-after collaborative musician and teacher, Melissa has appeared in numerous festivals across the United States and around the world, and has toured with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, and with Musicians from Marlboro. She held the post of Associate Professor of Viola at East Carolina University from 2007-2013, and earned degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and the New England Conservatory.
Melissa is married to the cellist Raman Ramakrishnan and they live in Rhinebeck, NY/Brookline, MA with their son Linus.
