Thomas B.

Thomas B. is a violist and educator based in NYC. Having embarked upon his musical journey on the piano at the age of 8, Thomas began his study of the viola at age 9, and found it to be his true passion while studying under Raul Garcia and Brett Deubner. Thomas received his Bachelor of Music at NYU Steinhardt, studying under the world-renowned pedagogue Karen Ritscher. He then went on to receive his Master of Music Degree from the Mannes School of Music, and is currently finishing a Professional Studies Diploma under the tutelage of Daniel Panner. Since then, Thomas has become a well-rounded, innovatory musician. Praised for his tone and musicality, Thomas strives to evoke emotion from every piece of music he interacts with.

Thomas is a strong believer in performing many different genres of music. Under the instruction of Dr. Wendy Richman and Dr. Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti at NYU, Thomas studied a wide range of extended viola technique and contemporary viola works. Thomas also loves collaboration and enjoys working alongside composers to create new and interesting works for the viola. While at NYU, Thomas commissioned several works through the Mix Nouveau Program, including Resonance for solo viola, by Alphonso Ramirez, and premiered several other works. He particularly enjoys doing recordings for contemporary singer/songwriters; most recently, Thomas can be heard playing the strings parts on Slow by Wind Meets West, as well as on Mackenzie Shrieve’s album “In the While”.

An active freelancer, Thomas plays with many orchestras around the Tri-State area. He is often on stage with The Bronx Opera Company and The Orchestra of The Bronx. He also has worked with The Classical Saxophone Project, New Manhattan Sinfonietta, and The New York Session Symphony. Additionally, Thomas plays with chamber groups at events around the NYC area, as playing chamber music has always been one of Thomas’ favorite activities. Thomas has performed for the Turkish Embassy, at the Belmont Stakes, and at New York Fashion Week.

In addition to freelancing around NYC, Thomas is a passionate music educator. Serving as a private violin and viola teacher, Thomas’ teaching method primarily focuses on healthy playing habits and artistic interpretation of works. His goal remains to foster in a new age of musicians with outstanding creative prowess. Thomas enjoys working with students of all ages, and adapts his teaching style to each student. His leading teaching philosophy is that students should enjoy playing their instruments and creating music.