Karine Stone, Violin

Karine Stone is an active recitalist, chamber musician, teacher, conductor, and arts administrator. An experienced orchestral musician as well, Karine was a member of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, has performed as Acting Concertmaster of the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, in the first violins of the Santo Domingo Music Festival, the Todi Music Festival, and the Skaneateles Festival, and as Principal Second of the Rochester Oratorio Society. She performs frequently in the second violins of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and was the first violinist of the RPO Educational Quintet from 2002–2005. Karine performed as concertmaster of the Finger Lakes Symphony in the 2010-2011 season, and has enjoyed conducting the FLSO and the New Horizons orchestras as guest conductor. Karine is currently on the conducting faculty of the Eastman Community Music School where she conducts the Eastman Youth String Orchestra. Formerly an adjunct faculty member at RIT, teaching violin and viola, Karine currently teaches both instruments in her private studio in Corn Hill and at the Harley School. Through her freelance work, Karine has provided backup violin for artists such as Josh Groban, The TransSiberian Orchestra, Harry Connick Jr., Johnny Mathis, Wayne Newton, and the Capitol Saxophone Quartet. Karine is also the Executive & Artistic Director of Gibbs & Main, and is committed to keeping chamber music alive in Rochester.

Eastman School of Music, Bachelors in Violin Performance and Literature

Eastman School of Music, Masters in Violin Performance and Literature

Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, first violin

Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, acting concertmaster

Greater Buffalo Opera, first violin

Rochester Oratorio Society, principal second

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, violin

RIT Orchestra, concertmaster

RPO Educational Quintet, first violin

Santo Domingo Music Festival (Dominican Republic), first violin

Schlossfestspiel Orchestra (Germany), first violin

Skaneateles Festival, first violin

Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, first violin

Todi Music Festival (Virginia), first violin

Teaching, conducting, administrative engagements:

Cobblestone Chamber Ensemble (founder and conductor)

Eastman Kaleidoscope Community Orchestra (founder and conductor)

Eastman Youth String Orchestra, music director

Idaho State Civic Symphony String Festival (violin faculty)

New Horizons String Orchestra, conductor

New Horizons Symphony Orchestra, guest conductor

Rochester Institute of Technology, violin and viola faculty

The Quartet Program at Bucknell University (Dean)

Gibbs & Main, Executive & Artistic Director

Trained With:

Charles Castleman

Camilla Wicks

Lynn Blakeslee

Nel Gotkovsky

Lisa Kim

Earliest sign of musical ambition:

I was maybe 18 months old and I heard some young children playing a concert at a mall. I remember wanting to do that more than anything...except maybe have a puppy.

Favorite performance memory:

When I was a teenager I gave several solo recitals each year and I remember loving the feeling of hearing my sound fill a church, a living room, a recital hall, and also the feeling of making people happy. Sometimes someone would come up to me and say, "You took me out of my day-to-day life," and I was thrilled that they were totally present in that moment, enjoying the music.

Dealing with stage fright:

I suffer from disaster fantasies. I get through them by watching "Harry Potter" or "Finding Nemo." They remind me that if a young boy can defeat Lord Voldemort and if a clown fish can defeat sharks, jellyfish, and rogue dentists, I have significantly better odds of giving a good concert!