Chamber Music Society of Southern Utah :: Fine Classical Music for St. George and Cedar City, Utah

Victoria Andrus – Violin/Viola

violist – private teacher; adjunct faculty Dixie State College; former-principal viola, Southwest Symphony; Member, Tedesca String Quartet.

Victoria Andrus holds a Bachelors Degree form Southern Utah University in Music Education and Viola and Violin Performance.  She has an associate’s degree from Dixie State College. She attended Snow Canyon High School, graduating with honors in 1997.

Victoria has attended many music festivals, including Meadowmount in New York, Round Top in Texas and Idyllwild in Southern California.  She has studied with Dr. Philip Baldwin, Dr. Erica Wadley, David Dalton, Eugene Becker, and Andrew Duckles, but she admittedly learned “everything she knows” from Dr. Percy Kalt.

Victoria spent many summers at Tuacahn performing with the summer Musical Theater Program.  Most memorably she performed in the pit for the Fiddler on the Roof, and was the understudy for the on stage fiddler, so on a few particular evenings, audiences were graced with the bearded lady!

Victoria spent four years in Las Vegas performing with the Las Vegas Philharmonic.  She also toured with Andrea Bocelli and performed with the Seasons Quartet. During that time she taught at Valley High School and Orr Middle School, competing with her students at State level and receiving numerous Superior ratings.

Victoria has received many awards, such as the Southern Utah University Thunderbird Award, which is a school-wide award.  She also received the Outstanding Studio award three years running, the Durfey Most Promising Musician Award and qualified nationally in the American String Teachers Association Competition.

Victoria has many solo appearances to her credit. She has two solo appearances on the Southwest Symphony’s Salute to Youth program, performing the Hindemith Viola Concerto and the J.C. Bach Viola Concerto.  She also performed the Bruch Romanze with the Orchestra of Southern Utah in Cedar City, and the Stamitz Viola concerto with the Southern Utah University Orchestra. She has also performed numerous solo recitals at many local venues such as the Browning auditorium, the Saint George Tabernacle, Thorley Recital Hall and the Cedar City Heritage Center.

Victoria runs Andrus Performance Studio, offering private instruction in violin and viola. She currently has 20 students.

Victoria plays instruments exclusively from the workshop of Kevin Lee Luthier. She has a home in Santa Clara, which she shares with her two daughters, Aviendha (Ava), 4, and Elmindreda (Ema), 2, her husband, guitarist Sherman Andrus, and her Labrador retriever Mesa.