Drew Vella – Past Concerts

Violist and Long Island native Drew Vella delights in performing a wide-ranging repertoire throughout New York and the tri-state area: from Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Broadway, to the UN, cafes, salsa studios, and house concerts. Former violist of the Lehman String Quartet, Mr. Vella has also performed with the Turtle Bay Piano Quartet, the NY Chamber Collective, and has made frequent appearances at Concerts on the Slope. He has performed with the Manhattan Symphonie, the Symphony of Westchester, and Amore Opera. Mr. Vella has frequently been invited to be a fellowship artist at the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival and the Bennington Chamber Music Conference. He has played in masterclasses led by Victoria Chiang, Yizhak Schotten, Lawrence Dutton, Donald Weilerstein, as well as members of the Ying Quartet, Borodin Quartet, and Kronos Quartet.

An advocate of expanding the repertoire for viola, Drew is dedicated to finding fresh and dynamic ways of expanding the canon of music available for the viola. He enjoys pioneering contemporary pieces as well as personally transcribing and arranging classic works of literature and arranging them for the viola.

Mr. Vella has studied at the Eastman School of Music, Queens College, and Long Island University where he was a two time Concerto Competition winner, studying with George Taylor, Brett Deubner, Peter Slowik, and Veronica Salas.