Violinist Lisa Casal-Galietta born on Long Island, NY, started her journey with the violin at age eight. Her love and dedication to music would catapult her towards a career she always dreamed of. As a soloist she has played with small chamber groups throughout the Long Island area playing works by Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. She is extremely passionate about chamber music and has used that love as focus for her career.
In 1997 she became a member of Dr. Bill Ryan's Contemporary Ensemble at Suffolk Community College where she worked closely and premiered several works by composers such as: Perry Goldstein, Phil Kline. David Lang, Todd Reynolds, Paul Steinberg, Evan Ziporyn.
Along with playing in the ensemble she also premiered one of her own compositions Patterns in a Dream (1999) for Clarinet and String trio. Not only did she gain the rare opportunity to work with such well known living composers but she also was fortunate to be exposed and play quite a lot of Twentieth Century music, something she is still quite fond of performing.
In 2000 she attended Stony Brook University studying with violinist Dr. Linda Sinanian . While attending the University she was heavily involved in chamber music which became her main focus. During her time at StonyBrook she received scholarship to attend the Stony Brook Summer Music festival three years in a row. While at the festival she excelled at chamber music as well as premiered her own composition for trumpet, violin and piano, Distribution of the Mud (2003), written for close friends and colleagues pianist, Danielle Errico and trumpet, Kevin Byrne. After earning her Bachelors of Music in 2004 Lisa took some time to teach., gig and play concerts on Long Island.
In 2006 she received a full Assistantship at the University of Akron. There she studied with violinist Alan Bodman, concert master of the Akron Symphony and Akron Baroque. While in Akron she was concert master and section leader of the university orchestra, founder of the Graduate Chamber Players, was extremely active in chamber music playing in several recitals, and was a member of Trio du Monde along with flutist, Shelley Smith and guitarist, Chris Klug. While there she also premiered works by Composers on Faculty including Quartet no. 1 by Dr. Stephen Stanziano. Before she graduated with her Masters degree in Violin Performance in May 2008, she was recognized and awarded Most Outstanding Graduate Student in Strings as well as was inducted into the Music honor society Phi Kappa Lambda.
As an orchestral player Lisa has played with the New Jersey Philharmonic, One World Symphony and Mansfield Symphony in Ohio. as well as with the Akron Ballet in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Staller Center, EJ Thomas Hall, Guild Hall, and at the prestigious Hampton Summer Music Festival. Lisa has played in master classes with guests who include: violinist, Victor Yampolsky, violinist, Linda Sinanian, and composer, Eric Ewazen. She also has played with many prestigious musicians such as Award Winners: Marvin Hamlisch, (as concert master), Randy Newman, jazz trumpet Marvin Stamm and pianist Bill Mayes (as principal), composers: Lukas Foss and David Amram.
As an orchestral player Lisa has played with the New Jersey Philharmonic, One World Symphony and Mansfield Symphony in Ohio. as well as with the Akron Ballet in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Staller Center, EJ Thomas Hall, Guild Hall, and at the prestigious Hampton Summer Music Festival. Lisa has played in master classes with guests who include: violinist, Victor Yampolsky, violinist, Linda Sinanian, and composer, Eric Ewazen. She also has played with many prestigious musicians such as Award Winners: Marvin Hamlisch, (as concert master), Randy Newman, jazz trumpet Marvin Stamm and pianist Bill Mayes (as principal), composers: Lukas Foss and David Amram.
One of Lisa's most recent and honorable endeavors was, on July 13the, 2009 she was invited to play in a concert series known as "A Strad for Lunch", held at the WMP Concert hall in NYC. This concert series allows up and coming artists to get the chance to perform a solo recital on a Stradivarius violin. While she got to play on the 17the Century instrument in the end she was given the honor to perform the concert on a Guaneri Del Gesu violin, 1711, a violin which Paganini preferred.
Lisa is a member of Aureus Duo with pianist and close friend, Danielle Errico is a member of The Belle Arti Quartet and plays with several other chamber groups of young, talented rising stars. In the past year her duo with Danielle Errico have played concerts all over Long Island and throughout NYC and have more planned for this upcoming year. Their goal is to share the enthusiasm and passion they have for music and help to keep classical music alive on Long Island. Please visit the Concerts page to see what they are doing next!
