Ralph Fielding

Ralph Fielding teaches viola at the Lynn University Conservatory of Music and previously was on the faculty of the University of Southern California. His viola class was listed as one of the top ten U.S. colleges for viola performance studies in this widely discussed blog and a video featuring short clips of every violist in his 2015-2016 class may be found on YouTube.

He is active as a clinician at music programs around the country and has given master classes at such institutions as Oberlin College, the Cleveland Institute, DePaul University, Indiana University, the New England Conservatory, the San Francisco Conservatory, Rice University, the New World Symphony, the Eastman School of Music and the Colburn School. He has also been an adjudicator for ASTA, MTNA, Suzuki, AVS/Primrose and other competitions. He specializes in quickly getting players to reach their highest potential through combining a singing approach to music-making with simple ways to master the basic mechanics of bow control, shifts, string crossings and bow changes.

Prior to his teaching activities, Fielding had a long history as an orchestral musician. As a teenager, he played a year in the Utah Symphony under Maurice Abravanel. He later spent 16 years as a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (including serving a term as Chair of their Auditions Committee) and has since helped students prepare musically and mentally for the most competitive of performance situations. His orchestral repertoire students continue to win positions in ICSOM and regional orchestras.

In addition to his classical work, Mr. Fielding has played in the string section for dozens of Hollywood film scores (such as Ghost, Armageddon, Contact, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Parent Trap), sound recordings (for such diverse artists as The Counting Crows, the Wallflowers, Alanis Morissette, Wayne Shorter and Willie Nelson), and TV shows (including Futurama, Jag, and Star Trek DS9, TNG & Voyager) and was in the pit orchestra for Johnny Carson's last appearance as host of the Tonight Show.

Ralph Fielding held a three-year term as the elected President of the American Viola Society, a 1,000-member nonprofit organization, founded in 1971, that puts out a peer-reviewed Journal two or three times a year, sponsors the North American Viola Congress every two years and holds the Primrose Memorial Viola Competition, one of the nation's largest and most prestigious viola-only events.

I combine a high-energy teaching style and an exuberant passion for music making with simple explanations of fundamental techniques, enabling all students to make rapid and continual progress. My encouraging attitude and sense of humor, along with a close attention to detail, helps performers develop their artistry with confidence.