| Fire and Ice Trio |
Merietta Oviatt
Merietta Oviatt
At the young age of two, Merietta Oviatt began studying music and her journey
as a musician commenced. Though she began her studies on the violin,
fate brought her to try the viola at age 11, and she has had a musical
love affair with the viola since. Merietta attended Idyllwild Arts
Academy in Idyllwild, California and made her debut at the age of 16
with the Desert Symphony Orchestra. After graduating from Idyllwild,
Merietta received a full scholarship to attend Louisiana State
University where she majored in viola performance. After her studies at
LSU, Merietta accepted a Dean of Arts position with the Uintah School
of Music and the Arts in Vernal, Utah. While in Utah, Oviatt completed
her Bachelor of Science Degree in History and English from Utah State
University. She recently lived in Louisiana where she was the
Principal violist of the Rapides Symphony, and violist with the
Acadiana and Southeast Texas Symphonies. She taught full-time Suzuki
strings at the Acadiana Symphony Conservatory of Music and she was also
the full-time Suzuki strings teacher at the J. Wallace James Arts and
Technology Academy where she volunteered her time to be the faculty
advisor for the Tri-M Music Honor Society as well as the Star Blazing
Fiddling Club. Merietta taught Suzuki viola, violin, and cello at Pomco
Music Studios and was the Artistic Director at Pomco Records, LLC.
Oviatt has been a certified viola/violin Suzuki teacher for ten years. She has trained with such notable Suzuki teacher trainers as Elisabeth Stuen-Walker, Edmund Sprunger, Dee Martz, Vera McCoy-Sulentic, and master teacher trainer William Pruecil. Merietta is an adjunct board member of the Uintah School of Music and the Arts, which she co-founded, and holds memberships in the American String Teachers Association, American Viola Society, International Viola Society, MENC, National Federation of Music Teachers, National Music Teacher’s Association, ASCAP, and the Suzuki Association of the Americas, amongst others.
Merietta performed at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in June of 2007, performed for the 2007 Latin Grammy Awards, performed under the baton of Maestro Itzhak Perlman, will perform as a guest soloist with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra, and has made guest artist appearances with the Desert Symphony Orchestra, Camerata Orchestra, and USOMATA Chamber Orchestra. Oviatt has spoken at the American String Teachers National Convention in Detroit as well as the KIPP School Summit in Arizona on Arts Integration in the classroom. Merietta released her debut CD in December of 2005 and work has just wrapped on her newest CD "Merietta Oviatt - That Old Time Gospel", which is available for purchase on itunes and many other digital agencies as well as hard copy through www.cdbaby.com. Samples of her current CD have brought rave reviews by fellow musicians as well as critics as being “different” and “exciting”. In addition to her musical releases, Oviatt is also planning to release her first children’s book, which is centered on music education. She hopes that her performing, publications and speaking engagements will help bring more attention to the need and importance of music/art education and integration into the classrooms of both public and private schools. Merietta is a proud member of the "Fire and Ice Trio."
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