Leila Warren
Instrument: Violin
Biography:
Warren of Ponte Vedra Beach Florida, began her violin studies at age 3 with the Suzuki method. At 5 she joined the six-level Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra where she now serves as co-concertmaster of the top division and plays in the JSYO Honors Quartet at various functions including a performance for the City of Jacksonville’s Martin Luther King breakfast and the Jacksonville Symphony’s benefit Gala.
A student of Adelya Nartadjieva, Leila won the 2024 Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition for the second time and will be soloing with the Jacksonville Symphony in May. Leila made her debut at 10, soloing with the University of North Florida Orchestra for concerts sponsored by Beaches Fine Arts. In 2020 she was the youngest ever finalist to perform in the final round of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition and in 2022, went on to win Second Prize in their live broadcast finals in 2022. Various competition wins include being named National Finalist of the MTNA Junior String Competition for two seasons performing in Reno, Nevada for their 2023 competition; First Place at the Junior Strings FMTA Concerto Competition; First place at the Gulf Coast Steinway Society Music Competition; First place at the Charleston International Music Competition; and First Place at the NFSO-John Leatherwood Concerto Competition where she had the opportunity to solo with the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. Since then, she has since been invited to return three times most recently to solo with Vivaldi’s Winter Concerto at their 2023 Holiday Pops concert. Additionally, Leila has been extended an invitation to solo this November (2024) by the NFSO conductor Todd Craven when he guest conducts for an orchestra in Indiana.
Last year Leila was accepted for the 2023 season of NYO2 performing in Carnegie Hall, New York as well as the National Theatre in the Dominican Republic. She is delighted to have been invited back for the 2024 season performing again in Carnegie Hall, New York as well as the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas. She will also be attending the 2024 Sphinx Performance Academy in Boulder, Colorado this summer. She has attended the Rushmore Chamber Music Festival in Rapid City, SD on a scholarship where she was one of two students invited to play with faculty at a public concert. Leila also played first violin in a quintet that received the Grand Prize in their annual student RMF Chamber Music Competition. She has participated in Master Classes with Hagai Shaham, Stefan Jackiw, Kurt Sassmannshaus, the Dover Quartet, the Vega Quartet and with Joe Deninzon, for the ASTA National Conference. Past teachers include Lisa Ponton, Dr. Simon Shao and Sonja Foster.
Outside of music, Leila is an AP/Honors student at Ponte Vedra High School where she is a member of Mu Alpha Theta (mathematics), the American Sign Language Honor Society and the Model United Nations Team. She tutors refugee students through the JaxThrive organization and runs with the JV Cross Country team. Leila is an active member of her school’s Drama Club competing at International State Thespian events. Her highlight in theatre thus far was performing as Juliet in her school’s production of Romeo and Juliet.
Leila is honored to play on a 2022 Douglas Cox violin generously on loan from the Virtu Foundation.
