CHRIS GOKELMAN (viola) is a first-year DMA student at the Cleveland Institute of Music studying with Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey. An avid performer, he has served as guest principal violist of the Amarillo Symphony and assistant principal violist of the Mozart Festival Texas Orchestra, and is a substitute violist with the San Antonio Philharmonic and Austin Symphony. He has won several competitions such as the Coeur d’Alene National Young Artists Competition and Youth Orchestras of San Antonio Concerto Competition, and has performed at festivals such as the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, Credo Music Festival, and the Castleman Quartet Program. Enthusiastic about new music and performing across a wide variety of musical genres, Gokelman participated in the Oberlin Performance & Improvisation Ensembles under the direction of Jamey Haddad and Jay Ashby, collaborating with and performing alongside jazz musicians on music written by composers from around the world. He is also passionate about exploring and performing works written by underperformed and underrepresented composers.
Gokelman received his masters from the Cleveland Institute of Music and participated in the double-degree program at Oberlin College & Conservatory, earning bachelor degrees in viola performance and psychology. His former principal instructors include Peter Slowik, Allyson Dawkins, and Christopher Parsons.