Valdine Ritchie Mishkin, violoncello

24700 SW Valley View Drive, West Linn, OR 97068
valdinemishkin@gmail.com
ValdineMishkin.com

Education

Doctorate of Musical Arts, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Houston
Graduation: May 2009. Student of Lynn Harrell.

  • Rotating Principal Cellist of Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra, (2004-06).
  • Full scholarship and stipend awarded. Duties include Class Assistant to Mr. Harrell and teacher of non-major students.
  • Dissertation: “Redefining the Boundaries: Three Twentieth Century Canadian Works for Cello”, Published May 2009. UMI Number 3362364.

Master of Music in Cello Performance, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, Houston.
Graduation: May 2003. Student of Norman Fischer.

  • Rotating Principal Cellist of Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra, (2000-03)
  • Full scholarship and stipend awarded. Duties include Class Assistant to Professor Norman Fischer and Assistant String Chamber Music Coordinator to Professor Norman Fischer.
  • Manitoba Council for the Arts; Grants for Study Abroad, (2000 and 2002).

Bachelor of Music with Honors in Performance and High Distinction in Cello, McGill University, Montreal. Graduation: May 2000. Student of Antonio Lysy and Leslie Snyder.

  • Winner of the McGill Concerto Competition (1998).
  • Principal of McGill Symphony Orchestra and McGill Contemporary Ensemble, (1998-2000).

Suzuki Association of the Americas

  • Cello Foundation 1A and 1B with Gilda Barston, Houston 2003
  • Cello Book 2 with Carey Cheney, WOW Dallas 2005
  • Cello Book 3 with Gilda Barston, American Suzuki Institute 2005, scholarship awarded.
  • Cello Book 4 with David Evenchick, Montreal Suzuki Institute, 2010
  • Cello Book 5 with Carey Cheney, Intermountain Suzuki Institute, 2011

Royal Conservatory of Toronto (R.C.T.), Canada.

  • Pedagogy of Violoncello, Expository Exam (2001)
  • Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto Diploma in Cello Performance (1997).
  • A.R.C.T. Diploma in Piano Performance (1995); Pedagogy of Piano, Expository Exam (1996)
  • Voice Exam Completed, Grade 10 (1998)
  • Awarded 11 Silver Medals for highest provincial exam result, bursaries for highest in Canada.

Summer Festival Participation

  • Aldo Parisot Masterclass, Banff Centre of the Arts, Canada (2002).
  • Tanglewood Music Festival Fellow (2001).
  • Janos Starker Masterclass, Orford Centre d’Art, Quebec (2000).
  • Schleswig-Holstein Orchestra Academy, Germany (2000).
  • Oberlin in Cassalmaggiore, Italy, (1999).
  • Daniel Musik Dagen, Netherlands, (1999)

Performance Experience

  • Cellist with Third Angle Ensemble (Feb 2018-present)
  • Cellist with Fear No Music (2017-present)
  • Substitute cellist with Oregon Symphony Orchestra (2014-present)
  • Cellist with Duo Apaixonado and guitarist Alfredo Muro, concerts at Classic Pianos, Valley View Chamber Concerts.
  • Oregon Music Festival 2018: Principal Cello and Coach for Orpheus Academy; Performance of Reich’s Double Sextet and Mazzoli’s Still Life with Avalanche
  • March Music Modern Recital at Portland Community Music Center, March 23, 2018
  • Extra cellist with Portland Cello Project (Nov 2017-present)
  • Live radio performances on All-Classical 89.9 Portland “Club Mod”: March 3rd, 2018 with Steve Lewis for Robert McBride’s Final Retirement Show; Dec 3rd, 2016 with Amelia Lukas and Monica Ohuchi, Messaien festival.
  • Willamette University Faculty Recitals: Brahms and Mozart Chamber Music, April 2016; Rachmaninoff Trio No. 2, March 2018; Debussy Sonata and Fauré Piano Quartet, Feb 2019
  • Live radio performance on “Thursdays at Three” on All Classical Portland with David Hattner and Janet Guggenheim, playing the Brahms Clarinet Trio. (Feb 2015)
  • Soloist with Chehalem Symphony, performing Schumann Concerto in A Minor. (2014)
  • Solo Cellist with Portland Boys Choir Christmas CD (release Dec 2012, 2012-present), Solo cellist with Aurora Chorus (2011-present).
  • Performance of Vivaldi Concerto for Two Cellos: Mercury Baroque & Barrett Sills in Houston (Feb 2008), and Pro Arte Youth Chamber Orchestra and Diane Chaplin in Portland (Nov 2011) and Chamber Music Camp of Portland Faculty Concert (July 2012)
  • Baroque continuo player for Mercury Baroque Ensemble (2003-08). Live performances on KUHF radio, CD release “8 Seasons” (2003), featured concerto soloist (2007-08).
  • Substitute cellist for Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet 2003-2008.
  • Principal Cellist as a Fellow at Tanglewood Music Center (2001)
  • Finalist at Canadian National Music Competition Festival (1998).
  • Winner of McGill University Concerto Competition (1998). Performance of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with McGill Orchestra at McGill and Université de Montreal (1999).
  • Winner of Winnipeg Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition. Performance of Saint-Saens’ Concerto No.1 with Orchestra at the Centennial Concert Hall, April 1996.
  • Solo with Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, “Concerts for Kids”, Centennial Concert Hall, age 10

Teaching Experience         

  • Adjunct/Artist Associate Cello Faculty at Willamette University, Salem OR (2016- present)
  • Orchestral Sectional Coach for Portland Youth Philharmonic (2013-present), Salem Youth Symphony (2016-present), Metropolitan Youth Sym (2011-2018), Chehalem Symphony (2013-2016), and Houston Youth Symphony (2003-2006).
  • Clinician Walla Walla Suzuki Institute, July 2017, 2018, returning 2019
  • Presenter at the OR-ASTA Conference, Pacific University (Nov 2017): “It’s All in the Thumbs: An Examination of Thumb Technique in the Development of Facility and Prevention of Injuries”
  • Adjunct Cello Instructor at George Fox University, Newberg, OR (2013-2016)
  • Director of private music studio (2008-present).  Responsibilities include: teaching weekly lessons and group classes in cello, coordinating and performing recitals and outreach projects. Teaching experience from ages 3 through adult, beginner through advanced.
  • Coach for Chamber Music Camp of Portland and PDX Chamber Ensembles (2012-2016)
  • Chamber Music Coach for Oregon ProArte Youth Chamber Orchestra (2011-2016)
  • Adjudicator for auditions or competitions for Portland Youth Philharmonic, Metropolitan Youth Symphonies, Oregon Music Teachers’ Association (2012-present), and Salem Youth Symphony.
  • Executive Co-Founder, Director and Teacher of Rose City Music Academy, school of over 100 students, and 15 faculty. (2009-2011 Directorship/Ownership, 2009-2012 teaching).  Primary responsibilities included: artistic direction of the programming; management of students and teachers; finances; and teaching cello, piano, and theory classes.
  • Board Member of the Oregon Cello Society, Chair of Scholarship Competition (2010-present). Duties include organizing and fundraising for the annual scholarship auditions, coordinating student recitals, running adult amateur ensembles, putting on guest masterclasses and lectures.
  • Board Member Oregon American String Teachers’ Association, chair of cello activities. (2016-present).  Duties include student masterclasses (David Finckel in Jan 2017 and Peter Wiley in Dec 2017), and writing articles for the newsletter.
  • Teacher of Non-Major Cello course, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University (2000-06)

References

  • Norman Fischer
    Professor of Violoncello
    Shepherd School of Music, Rice University
    Houston, Texas 77251-1892
    (713) 348-2170
    nfischer@rice.edu
  • David Hattner
    Director of Portland Youth Philharmonic
    (503) 223-4035
    david@portlandyouthphilharmonic.org
  • Dr. Anthony Brandt
    Professor of Composition and Theory
    Shepherd School of Music, Rice University
    Houston, Texas 77251-1892
    (713) 348-2192
    abrandt@rice.edu