Elizabeth Oka is a second-year Viola Fellow at the New World Symphony. Her most recent engagements include the Des Moines Metro Opera, Artosphere Festival Orchestra, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa). She has also performed with the Charleston Symphony, Boston Philharmonic, Discovery Ensemble, Atlantic Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic and the Owensboro Symphony.
Hailing from Monrovia, California, Ms. Oka began her musical studies on violin, but quickly realized her true calling. She switched to viola at The Colburn School of Performing Arts before moving to the east coast, where she graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a double major in English literature and music. Ms. Oka subsequently completed her master’s degree in viola performance at the New England Conservatory. Most recently, she served as the Associate Instructor in Viola while pursuing a performance diploma at Indiana University. As a fellowship student, she has attended the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival and the Round Top Festival-Institute. Ms. Oka’s many wonderful teachers include Ed Gazouleas, Martha Katz, Michael Klotz, and Lenny Matczynski.
In addition to her orchestral playing, Ms. Oka loves the intimacy of chamber music. She has premiered new works in Jordan Hall, attended the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music as part of a fellowship quartet, performed in retirement homes with an outreach group from NEC, and appeared in living rooms across Boston as a part of Groupmuse.
