Violin and Viola Performer

Vivian McDermott is a violist in the Lubbock Symphony. She recently graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in string pedagogy and published a guide to teaching violin students on the autism spectrum.

Her skills as a musician took her across the USA, as well as parts of Mexico and Canada.

Before coming to Lubbock, Vivian served as a section violinist in the Jackson Symphony in Jackson, Tennessee. Other orchestral engagements include, the Amarillo Symphony, the West Texas Symphony, the North Mississippi Symphony, principal second violinist/violist of the University of Memphis orchestra, the Hot Springs Music Festival Orchestra, Brevard Music Festival Orchestra, Eastern Music Festival Orchestra, Miami Music Festival Orchestra, Interlochen Faculty Orchestra, and the Germantown Symphony Orchestra.

She made her solo debut at the age of 17 with the Memphis Youth Symphony, playing Mozart’s Concerto No. 3 in G major. As a soloist and chamber musician, Vivian has played in recitals in Tennessee, Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, and British Columbia. She has also performed in an online master class led by David Kim. Vivian was a member of the Loraine String Quartet, the graduate string quartet at the University of Memphis.

During her undergraduate years, Vivian was sought out as a violist, playing in her university’s string quartets. She often “doubled” in both violin and viola. She holds degrees from Belmont University (BM in violin performance), the University of Memphis (MM in violin performance and AD in viola performance), and Texas Tech University (MM in string pedagogy).

Her primary teachers include. Annie Chalex-Boyle, Phillippe Chao, Lenny Schranze, Timothy Shiu, Elisabeth Small, and Sarah Cote.