Ann Fontanella

      Ann began the study of violin at the age of 6. Shortly after her 10th birthday, she debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of David Zinman and began private studies with the renowned artist, Erick Friedman. At the age of 14, Ann was one of the youngest artists accepted to the MM/Certificate program at Yale University. Her debut concert at London's Wigmore Hall was acclaimed one of the "top five concerts" of the 2005 concert season. Heading off the 2006 concert year with a performance at Weil Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York City, Ann's performance elicited rave audience response answered by numerous encores. A review by writer Dr. John Birchell hailed Ann as "the only working artist today who might be mistaken for Heifetz". Currently, an artist with Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation program, Ann is represented by DeeAnne Hunstein of Hunstein Artists Services in New York City.

    In addition to her recognition as a virtuoso performer, Ann is also known as a commissioned composer. In 2001 and 2002, she was an award recipient in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Competition. Ann was also featured in a Symphony Magazine article about young composers ("Born to Compose", May/June 2003). Her style has been described as early Romantic by Jung Ho Pak, conductor of the New Haven Symphony, and appeals to a wide range of audiences. Her studies in composition began at the age of 11 at the Peabody Conservatory of Music with Dr. Paul Mathews and continued at West Chester University at the age of 15 with Dr. Robert Maggio.

     Ann has received numerous awards in violin performance from widely recognized organizations, including the Albert Greenfield Competition, Davidson Institute, and the Virtu Foundation. In 2003, she was an invited guest on cable television's "Connecticut Images", and appeared in November of 2004 on CN8's program "Real Life". Ann's radio credits began in April of 2003 with the program "From the Top" where she can be heard on PRI/NPR with concert pianist Christopher O'Riley. Her recording of "Wellenspiel" was released in May 2004, on "Palimpsest" (a Yale University publication). Performing in recitals and as a featured soloist with orchestras throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions, Ann's repertoire includes all standard works for violin.