Natalie Gaynor,

Principal Second Violin

Natalie Gaynor joined the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet Orchestras in March 2017 as Principal Second Violin. She also performs with Houston Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Grant Park Music Festival, Strings Music Festival, and Grand Teton Music Festival. She is a former first violinist at Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and has performed with San Diego, San Antonio, and New World Symphonies. She performs on a 2011 violin by Joseph Curtin of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Born and raised in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Natalie began her violin studies at age six, and piano lessons a year later. In high school she studied with Gerardo Ribeiro of Northwestern University and was highly involved in the Midwest Young Artists Youth Orchestra and Chamber Music Program. She began her undergraduate degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music and transferred to Rice University to follow her teacher, renowned violin pedagogue Paul Kantor. Natalie earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, and also completed a Minor in Business from the Jones Graduate School of Business. Natalie regularly plays for special events and services throughout the Houston area, performing classical works, pop music transcriptions, and improvising with DJ. She has maintained a private studio during her time in Houston, teaching students of all ages. In addition to music, Natalie enjoys taking portrait and travel photography, going to new art exhibits, finding new places to travel, and exploring national parks. To learn more about Natalie, please visit her website www.nataliegaynor.com.