Praised as “exceptionally talented” and “a virtuosic performer” (Sarasota Observer), violist Stephanie Block has performed internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. She gave the U.S. premiere of Alejandro Cardona’s Sweet Tijuana: Danzas Fronterizas for Viola and Orchestra with the New Juilliard Ensemble and has been a soloist with several Chicag0-area symphonies. A recent alumna of the New World Symphony, Ms. Block has performed with the London and Milwaukee symphonies as well as the Sarasota Orchestra. She has been featured on PBS NewsHour and appeared on the PBS American Masters series with Michael Tilson Thomas. Ms. Block is currently Acting Principal Viola of the Sarasota Orchestra.

A “standout player,” (South Florida Classical Review) Ms. Block has performed with many renowned chamber musicians. She received several awards in Chicago-area competitions and the Gold Medal in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Ms. Block has performed as a substitute for the Amernet String Quartet and is an artist at the Sitka Music Festival. She also has a passion for jazz music and performed with Wynton Marsalis at Dizzy’s Jazz Club in New York as part of Daniel Chmielinski’s Four by Four. As an orchestral musician, Ms. Block has held several principal roles, including in the Juilliard Orchestra. She has regularly performed as principal in the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas. In 2017 she was selected to tour to Helsinki and Stockholm as a member of the joint symphony of the Juilliard and Sibelius Academy orchestras under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen. She also performed as a principal member of the Salomé Chamber Orchestra. In addition to her orchestral experience, Ms. Block has performed with the Æon Music Ensemble with whom she was a soloist in a performance at Carnegie Weill Hall. Born in Barrington, Illinois, Ms. Block began her initial studies with Deborah Inman and Desirée Ruhstrat. She received both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School under Heidi Castleman, Hsin-Yun Huang, Misha Amory and Cynthia Phelps.

A survivor of the rare cancer Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, Ms. Block is committed to using her art to promote awareness. Supported by the New World Symphony, she organized a chamber music fundraiser at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center to fundraise for the Histiocytosis Association. Throughout past NWS seasons, she has organized monthly visits to perform for patients. Ms. Block has also been a recurring headline speaker for the Miami Cancer Institute’s ‘Inspire You’ series. She is an inaugural ambassador for the Histiocytosis Association.

Outside of music, Ms. Block is an accomplished runner and triathlete. She is a podium finisher in the Miami Man and Ocean Drive Triathlons and a top finisher in the Chicago Triathlon. She recently qualified for the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships.