Katrina Bobbs, age 19, attends the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) as a full-scholarship student. She began studying music at age 4 with her mother Catherine, and continued her violin studies with Gail Mellert and Cheryl Scheidemantle. A native of Granada Hills, California, she and her family have lived in Cleveland, Ohio, since 2004 where Katrina studies violin with Paul Kantor at CIM. She is an equally accomplished pianist, and currently studies with Peter Takacs at the Oberlin Conservatory.

     Katrina has performed as soloist with dozens of orchestras throughout the country, including the Santa Monica, Beach Cities, Torrance, Suburban, Firelands, Cleveland Philharmonic, and Lakeland Symphonies. In 2005, she was invited to perform as soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra for Severance Hall’s school enrichment program. This past summer, she performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Calgary Philharmonic in Canada.

     A dedicated orchestral musician, Katrina has served as Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and Colburn Chamber Orchestra. Her awards for 2007 included 3rd prize at the Lennox International Competition in Texas, 2nd Prize at the Music Teachers National Association Competition in Toronto, and being selected as the only North American Finalist in the Morningside Music Bridge International Competition in Alberta. Most recently, Katrina was selected to participate in the New York String Orchestra Seminar last Christmas, and performed concerts in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Jaime Laredo.

     For the last two summers, Katrina has attended the Morningside Music Bridge Festival in Shanghai, China, and Calgary, Alberta. She has spent past summers at the Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Festival, Indiana String Academy, and Innsbrook Institute. Besides her love for music, Katrina enjoys spending time with her seven brothers and sisters, participating in her church, reading, photography, and running.

She would like to thank the New West Symphony and Boris Brott for the opportunity of performing together.