Hannah Dara, Viola

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Hannah Dara is a doctoral music student at Rutgers University. She received her Master of Music degree from University of Maryland, College Park and her B.M. from Oberlin Conservatory. She grew up in South Carolina, where she began learning viola in fourth grade in a school orchestra program. She later attended the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, a public residential high school for the arts.

Some memorable musical experiences include recording on the Naxos label with the National Orchestral Institute in Maryland, where she was principal viola; performing as a soloist and
orchestral musician in Germany, and working with artists such as the Punch Brothers, the Australian String Quartet, the Takacs Quartet, the Jupiter Quartet, and the Pacifica Quartet.

Ms. Dara seeks to establish a solid foundation and good technique from the beginning stages. She takes a logical and systematic approach to solving problems often encountered when learning a string instrument. As the student progresses, she encourages the student to actively analyze their practicing and explore the possible different ways to meet their musical goals. She informs her interpretation of music with historical information and the context around the music, and mixes that with her own ideas, and encourages students to do the same. Her favorite aspects of being a musician are the opportunities to perform with others, and how you truly never stop learning.