2024 Primrose International Viola Competition & American Viola Society Festival Program Book

2024 American Viola Society Festival Artists

Mary Moran PoCo Duo

Mary Moran is a music performer, educator, and collaborator based at the Aber Suzuki Center within the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Her teaching responsibilities include private and group lessons with young beginners, advanced students, and adults, as well as the ASC’s String Adventures program for upper elementary students. Mary is principal viola of the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, with which she frequently performs as part of the CWSO’s education and community engagement programs. In addition to her teaching and performing roles, she is the Coordinator for the American Suzuki Pearl de la Motte Pearl de la Motte, 19, is the second of ten children in a musical family and is currently pursuing undergraduate studies at the Juilliard School where she studies viola with Hsin-Yun Huang. She began playing the violin at the age of two then switched to viola when she was ten. After being inspired by the viola’s deep and expressive voice, she became very passionate about music and decided that she wanted to pursue a career as a musician while honoring God with her playing. Mark Neumann Dr. Mark Neumann is Professor of Viola at the University of Oklahoma and held previous appointments as viola professor at Texas Tech University and the University of Georgia. He studied at the University of Victoria (Canada), the Cleveland Institute of Music, and The Juilliard School, where he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 1995. Formerly a member of symphony orchestras in Montreal, Calgary, and Victoria, he currently performs regularly with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and the Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble. Dr. Neumann has presented numerous recitals and masterclasses in China, Taiwan, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Canada and across the USA.

Institute, held every summer on the campus of UWSP.

Sarah Niblack Sarah Niblack, founder of SPARK Practice and active freelance violist based in Paris, France, is a former Division-1 scholarship rower with several titanium screws and a passion for helping people find their spark. After viola performance and arts-administration degrees from CCM (Cincinnati), a collection of international wins on the viola and racecourse, as well as autoimmune, ADHD, and injury challenges, her depth of experiences in elite sports, top musical training, neuroscience, and mindfulness came together into SPARK Practice: the neurologically-aligned Intentional Practice System for Healthy Performance Excellence. Sarah’s principal teachers include Laurent Verney, Masao Kawasaki, Paul Cortese, and Irv Eisenberg. www.sparkpractice.com

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