Praised as “exceptionally talented” and “a virtuosic performer” (Sarasota Observer), violist Stephanie Block has performed internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. She gave the U.S. premiere of Alejandro Cardona’s Sweet Tijuana: Danzas Fronterizas for Viola and Orchestra with the New Juilliard Ensemble and has been a soloist with several Chicago-area symphonies.
Currently Principal Viola of the Sarasota Orchestra, Ms. Block has performed with orchestras such as the Chicago and London Symphony Orchestras. She has been featured on PBS NewsHour and appeared on the PBS American Masters series with Michael Tilson Thomas. A “standout player,” (South Florida Classical Review) Ms. Block has performed with many renowned chamber musicians. She received several awards in Chicago-area competitions and the Gold Medal in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Ms. Block has performed with the Amernet String Quartet and is an artist at the Sitka Music Festival. She also has a passion for jazz music and performed with Wynton Marsalis at Dizzy’s Jazz Club in New York as part of Daniel Chmielinski’s Four by Four.
Ms. Block regularly performed as principal in the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas and in 2017 was selected to tour to Helsinki and Stockholm as a member of the joint symphony of the Juilliard and Sibelius Academy orchestras under the direction of Esa-Pekka Salonen. She also performed as a principal member of the Salomé Chamber Orchestra. In addition to her orchestral experience, Ms. Block has performed with the Æon Music Ensemble with whom she was a soloist in a performance at Carnegie Weill Hall.
Born in Barrington, Illinois, Ms. Block began her initial studies with Deborah Inman and Desirée Ruhstrat. She received both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School under Heidi Castleman, Hsin-Yun Huang, Misha Amory and Cynthia Phelps.
A survivor of the rare cancer Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis, Ms. Block is committed to using her art to promote awareness. Supported by the New World Symphony, she organized chamber music concerts at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center to fundraise for the Histiocytosis Association. During her time in Miami, she also organized monthly visits to perform for patients. Ms. Block was a headline speaker for the Miami Cancer Institute’s ‘Inspire You’ series and is an inaugural ambassador for the Histiocytosis Association.
Ms. Block is also an accomplished runner and triathlete. She is a podium finisher in the Miami Man and Ocean Drive Triathlons and a top finisher in the Chicago Triathlon. She has twice qualified for the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships.