Violin with Charlotte V.

Charlotte Van Houten is a violist who has been praised for her passion, drive, and deep musicality. Ms. Van Houten is pursuing a Bachelors of Music in Viola Performance from Azusa Pacific University on a generous academic and musical scholarship and is currently a student of Gina Coletti. Previously, Ms. Van Houten was a student of Lynn Grants and Jonathan Moerschel, and took additional lessons with violists Nancy Roth, Darrin McCann, Lorenz Gamma, and Jason Bonham. She has performed in Masterclasses with Gina Coletti, Ben Ullery, Karen Dreyfus, and Alex Russell. Ms. Van Houten is a highly sought after violist for New Music, and has worked closely with contemporary composers such as Byron Adams, Simeon Goode, S. Jonathan Dinsfriend, and Sarah Wallin Huff on numerous projects. In January of 2018, Ms. Van Houten premiered two pieces written for her: Countdown by Simeon Goode, and Fever Pitch by Sarah Wallin Huff. Ms. Van Houten recently recorded Fever Pitch in mid-March 2018, written for her by Sarah Wallin Huff. The piece is to be released on Sarah Wallin Huff’s upcoming album featuring her Leviathan six-string electric violin concerto. In the Spring of 2019, Ms. Van Houten is slated to be the second violist to perform Julia Adolphe’s Unearth, Release, with special permission from both Ms. Adolphe, and Cynthia Phelps – principal violist of the New York Philharmonic. In the Fall of 2016, Ms. Van Houten received an Honorable Mention in the Intermediate division of the Parness Concerto Competition – the only violist to place in any division of the competition in several years – and has also won first place in the viola division of the Satori Strings Competition. Ms. Van Houten has held Principal positions in orchestras such as the Azusa Pacific University Symphony Orchestra, the Azusa Pacific University Studio Orchestra, the Azusa Pacific University Choir and Orchestra, the CSUN Youth Philharmonic, the Grace Baptist Symphony Orchestra, and the Sande Strings Youth Orchestra. She has also held the title of Associate Principal Viola of the Azusa Pacific University Symphony Orchestra and the Santa Clarita Philharmonic. In The summer of 2018, Ms. Van Houten attended the Music Mountain Academy festival in Falls Village, CT. At this festival, Ms. Van Houten studied with members of the Verona Quartet, Charles Niedich, and Peter Winograd.