Violin with Charlotte V.

Charlotte Van Houten is a eighteen year old violist who has been praised for her passion and drive. 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 a student of Gina Coletti having previously studied with Lynn Grants and Jonathan Moerschel. She has performed in Masterclasses with Gina Coletti, Ben Ullery, and Karen Dreyfus. In the Fall of 2016, Ms. Van Houten received an Honorable Mention in the Intermediate division of the Parness Concerto Competition and has also won first place in the viola division of the Satori Strings Competition. Ms. Van Houten has held principal positions in both her high school and collegiate careers. An active chamber musician, Ms. Van Houten is a member of her University’s chamber program. Her Piano Quintet coached by Eugene Alcalay was recently selected in March 2017 to be a part of Azusa Pacific University’s Inagural Chamber Masterclass Series, featuring Violist and Chamber Director of USC’s Thornton School of Music Karen Dreyfus. Ms. Van Houten was the only underclassman out of the three groups who were selected to participate in this Masterclass. In the past, she performed in a piano trio coached by cellist Jonathan Thomson. Charlotte is a highly sought after violist for New Music, and has worked closely with contemporary composers Simeon Goode, S. Jonathan Dinsfriend, and Sarah Wallin Huff on numerous projects. As a recording musician, Ms. Van Houten was featured on two cues in the 2015 Disney Film Tomorrowland at the personal invitation of conductor Tim Simonec and composer Michael Giacchino, as well as participating in several student-recording projects. Ms. Van Houten currently resides in Azusa, California where she is on Faculty at the Azusa Conservatory.