I’m Zach Green, and I am a violist with the LGSO though I live in Dundee, Illinois. I joined the symphony just prior to the pandemic shutdown and despite necessary precautions, the program has managed to remain active and safe and I’ve now been with the symphony for just over a year. What I enjoy the most about being with the LGSO is the commitment to the music and quality performance, as well as the diverse programming. It’s great to be in a group that is able to work on pieces that require proficiency and dedication, like those from the late Romantic composers and 20th c. As of 2021, I’ll be finishing my first year of graduate school for viola performance at Northern Illinois University. Aside from school and LGSO, I also give private violin and viola lessons and work as a luthier for String Works in Geneva, IL… no lakes there…but still a great place to work. The first experience I had with music was on the clarinet and flute. I didn’t take-up the viola until sophomore year in high-school when my best friend, Giselle Arce, had convinced me that the orchestra was way cooler. After the switch, I never looked back.
During my undergraduate years in college I was able to work with several violists from the CSO, as well as Anthony DeVroye of the Avalon Quartet at NIU, with whom I am currently studying under. Viola is definitely my favorite instrument and my reason to be.