Allegra Faith Askew

Viola

Allegra Faith Askew was born in New York City and grew up in Houston, Texas, where she studied viola with Wayne Crouse, principal violist of the Houston Symphony. She won the Houston Symphony Young Artist Competition and made her solo debut with the Houston Symphony at the age of 16. Lawrence Foster, Music Director of the Houston Symphony, offered her a contract as a member of the Houston Symphony after this performance.

Ms. Askew has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she studied with Max Aronoff. She continued her postgraduate studies at Curtis, where she served as teaching assistant to Mr. Aronoff and had intensive orchestral coaching with Joseph de Pasquale, principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Ms. Askew coached chamber music with Felix Galimir, Mischa and Sascha Schneider of the renowned Budapest Quartet, Rudolph Serkin, and John de Lancie. She has played chamber music with members of the Muir Quartet and with Yo-Yo Ma.

She has worked under many conductors of renown, including Carlo Maria Giulini, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, James Levine, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Ramond Leppard, Kenneth Montgomery, Rafael Frubeck de Burgos, Leonard Slatkin, Yuri Temirkanov, Edo de Waart, and Eugene Ormandy.

In Philadelphia, she was a substitute for the Philadelphia Orchestra and was principal viola for the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Opera Theater, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Philly Pops.

In New York City, Allegra served as principal viola for the American Symphony Orchestra and played with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s.

Ms. Askew is a current member of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, where she has served as assistant principal and acting principal since 1982.

She now resides in Santa Fe where she has a teaching studio and performs with many local music ensembles.