Violist Hillary Herndon has earned a national reputation for her brilliant playing, insightful teaching and creative multi-faceted programming. She has been heard on NPR and PBS and has collaborated with some of the world’s foremost musicians, including Carol Wincenc, James VanDemark and Itzhak Perlman, who described Hillary as “having it all… a gifted teacher and an excellent musician.”

Hillary’s passion for integrating music with other interests has led to collaborations with actors, dancers, social workers and sociologists, the first trans-Atlantic master class via Internet2, the use of high-speed video equipment to analyze bow strokes, and performances reaching beyond traditional concert halls to venues such as the Miami City Book Fair and the American Museum of Science and Energy.

Ms. Herndon is dedicated to expanding the available repertoire for the viola through research, performance and advocacy of little known works. Her recitals will often feature composers such as Fernande Decruck, Minna Keal and Sergei Vasilenko alongside the standard viola repertoire of their contemporaries. Herndon's first recording, "La Viola: Music for Viola and Piano by Women Composers of the early 20th Century" has recently been released on MSR Classics.

In addition to her chamber and solo performances, Hillary Herndon has acted as Principal Violist of the New World, Colorado Springs, Eastman and Juilliard Symphony Orchestras under the direction of today’s best conductors, including Michael Tilson-Thomas, Seiji Ozawa, Neeme Jarvi, Yuri Temirkanov, James Levine and Sir Norrington. She has participated in international festivals such as Tanglewood, Interlochen, the Heidelberg Scholssfestspiele and the National Repertory Orchestra.

A committed teacher, Ms. Herndon has a thriving studio at the University of Tennessee and has held summer positions the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and the Round Top Festival Institute. In 2013, she will join the faculty at the Montecito Summer Music Festival. She is the founder and director of the Annual UT Viola Celebration, an event that involves hundreds of violists from across North America. Her recent appearances include presentations and master classes at Juilliard, the University of Michigan, Louisiana State University, Brazil and the 2012 International Viola Congress. Her teaching articles have been published in the Journals of the American String Teacher Association and the American Viola Society. Ms. Herndon serves as an Executive Board Member for the American Viola Society.

Ms. Herndon received her Masters Degree from the Juilliard School where she studied with Heidi Castleman, Hsin-Yun Huang and Misha Amory while serving as a Teaching Assistant to Ms. Castleman. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Eastman, where she studied with George Taylor and graduated with High Honors.