Kathryn Dey
South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities

Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, violist Kathryn Dey has a broad background in teaching and performing.  Active as both a soloist and chamber musician, Ms. Dey has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe.   She is currently principal viola of the Greenville (SC) Symphony Orchestra and violist of the GSO string quartet.  Ms. Dey performs regularly with organist Ryan Hebert as the Lila Duo and together they have recently given recitals throughout North Carolina, Virginia and in Germany.  In 2006 Ms. Dey received a grant from the Surdna Foundation to study and perform works by american composer Lillian Fuchs.

Ms. Dey is currently on the string faculty of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, a residential arts high school located in Greenville, South Carolina, where she is the viola instructor and string chamber ensemble coach.  She is also on the faculty of Eastman School of Music Summer Viola Workshop and the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival.  Ms. Dey is the founder and director of the Governor’s School student string orchestra, Concertato.  This innovative ensemble, performing entirely without conductor, has been invited to perform twice at the annual South Carolina Music Educators Association Convention, and at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.  In March of 2006 Concertato String Orchestra was named Grand Champion Ensemble at the American String Teacher’s Association (ASTA) National High School Orchestra Competition in Kansas City, Missouri.  Viola students from her studio have been prize winners in state and national competitions and are consistently accepted to top conservatories and music schools for collegiate study.  Ms. Dey was named 2008 Orchestra Director of the Year by the South Carolina chapter of the American String Teacher Association.

Ms. Dey earned degrees in viola performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Eastman School of Music, where she served as teaching assistant to John Graham.  She performs on an instrument made in 1991 by Tetsuo Matsuda.