Joshua Newburger, Viola
Violist Josh Newburger originally hails from Austin, Texas where he grew up playing jazz manouche with his high school swing band, world music with his mentor Oliver Rajamani, and indie-pop with the nationally reputable rock orchestra Mother Falcon. He completed his bachelors degree in violin at the New England Conservatory in Boston under the tutelage of Nicholas Kitchen and went on to the Yale School of Music where he received a Master’s degree as a viola student of Ettore Causa.
Newburger has toured the United States, Europe, and Asia with ensembles including Ivan Fischer’s Budapest Festival Orchestra, the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra with whom he performed both as principal second violin and principal viola. He was twice selected as the assistant principal violist of the New York String Orchestra and has performed at summer festivals including the Verbier Festival, Music Academy of the West, Summit International Music Festival, and Killington Music Festival.
During the 2016-17 season his graduate quartet, the Béla Quartet, was asked to represent the Yale School of Music in concerts in London, England and Brevard, North Carolina alongside pianist and YSM Dean Robert Blocker.
In October of 2017 Josh joined the viola section of Pacific Symphony and in June of 2018 he was promoted to assistant principal. In addition to performing with Pacific Symphony this season Josh will be touring extensively throughout Europe and Asia through his ongoing relationships with orchestras abroad.