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

Valdine’s Doctoral Thesis can be found here on DOCPLAYER: