Allison McNeal, freelance Violinist

Allison McNeal has played the violin since age 4. Her early training included ten years at the prestigious Mannes pre-college where she was a student of Ann Setzer and four years at LaGuardia School of Music, Art, and the Performing Arts. She received a Bachelors in Violin Performance (summa cum laude) from the Hartt School of Music where she studied with Katie Lansdale and Mickey Riseman, and a Masters in Violin Performance from Boston Conservatory where she studied with Rictor Noren. Allison attended the two year Suzuki Teacher Training Course at School for Strings where she studied under Allen Lieb and Kati Gerson. Allison attended music festivals such as Atlantic Music Festival, the School for Strings Chamber Music Workshop, Killington Music Festival, and Luzerne Music Center. She was the recipient of a number of awards including the Boston Conservatory Award, the Hartt Performing Arts Scholarship, the William K. Halligan award for a Violinist and the Douglas Cox Violin Scholarship. Allison appeared with the Harlem Symphony Orchestra, Chelsea Symphony, One World Symphony, Spectrum Symphony and Boston Opera Collaborative where she acted as the assistant concertmaster. Allison has been selected to play at masterclasses for esteemed musicians such as Ivan Chan, Laura Bossert, and Jennifer Frautschi. Teaching is very important to Allison, and she truly enjoys working with her students. Allison is currently on the faculty of Turtle Bay Music School, Midori and Friends, and Bronx House School of Performing Arts.