Gabriel Schlaffer - violist

Gabriel Schlaffer graduated from the New England Conservatory with a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance in 2002, and recently finished his Master of Music degree at DePaul University.

Currently in his fourth season as Principal Violist with the South Bend and Rockford Symphonies, he has also performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Elgin, Northwest Indiana, and New World Symphonies. His chamber music activities include performances with the Callisto & Nagaokakyo Ensembles, the Michigan City Chamber Music Festival, and recitals in Boston, Chicago, and Nagoya, Japan principally as Violist, but he doubles skillfully on the violin as well.

He has studied with James Buswell, Keith Conant, Rami Solomonow, and Marcus Thompson.

Gabriel grew up in Missoula, Montana, and now lives in Chicago with his wife Machiko, where he loves to participate in late night extended chamber music reading sessions with friends.