festival associate director, viola

Executive Director, Buffalo String Works; Radio Host, Classical 94.5 WNED.

Violist Virginia Barron is equally adept as a chamber player, orchestral musician, and teacher. A native of Toronto, she received her training at the Manhattan School of Music; her principal teachers were Lillian Fuchs, Kim Kashkashian, and Paul Armin. Barron was a regular substitute player with the Chicago Symphony for over 20 years and went on six international tours with the orchestra, playing under such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Bernard Haitink, and Riccardo Muti. Other orchestras she has played with include Toronto Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Lyric Opera Orchestra, and the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra. An ardent chamber musician, Barron has served the Colorado College Summer Music Festival for 32 years, as performer, teacher, and associate director.

In 2014, Barron co-founded Buffalo String Works, an El Sistema-inspired program that offers free music instruction to underserved children on Buffalo’s West Side. Although she retired as the executive director in 2019, BSW continues to thrive. It now serves over 100 children in their facilities overlooking the Niagara River. Barron and her husband currently enjoy playing concerts in hospitals and retirement residences in the Buffalo area, accompanied by their golden retriever, Archie, a therapy dog extraordinaire.