Sonya Stith Williams

Sonya Stith Williams is assistant concertmaster of Symphoria, the musician-founded and owned orchestra formed after the demise of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. She was a member of the Syracuse Symphony for ten years prior to the new Symphoria. In these organizations, she has been a member of both the second and first violin sections, and has served as guest concertmaster. She has also performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Binghamton Philharmonic as guest principal second violin, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and the Rochester Chamber Orchestra.

Sonya received her B.M. in violin performance and her M.M. in performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music, where her primary teachers were the esteemed teachers and performers, Zvi Zeitlin and Ilya Kaler. As part of her training, she also attended the Music Academy of the West, the Quartet Program, and the National Orchestral Institute, where she served as concertmaster.

She is a member of the Symphoria String Quartet that plays concerts, educational performances, and conducts masterclasses in schools as well as in the community. She is active in many other local ensembles such as the Skaneateles Festival, the Society for New Music, the Civic Morning Musicals Recital Series, the Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music concerts, the Clinton String Quartet, and the Temple Concord concert series.

Sonya has been guest speaker at an Eastman School Arts Leadership class, and at Syracuse University’s Women in Leadership organization, and teaches at the Eastern U.S. Music Camp. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Symphoria and is the chair of the Symphoria Education and Outreach committee.

She lives in Baldwinsville, New York where she raises her three young children with her husband Matt and also teaches violin lessons out of her home.

Education:

• B.M., M.M., University of Rochester (Eastman School of Music)