Instruments: Violin
Style: Classical
Education:
B.M., Cleveland Institute of Music
Graduate Studies, Cleveland Institute of Music
Violinist Ariel Clayton, a native of Dallas, Texas, is currently pursuing graduate studies in violin performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She began her studies in Texas, where her primary teachers were Jan Mark Sloman and Motoi Takeda, both of whom hold chairs as associate concertmasters of the Dallas Symphony. While in Dallas, Ariel studied at Southern Methodist University, played with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, and performed with the Meadows Wind Ensemble, a chamber ensemble incorporating strings into a wide variety of wind repertoire. At the Cleveland Institute of Music, Ariel worked with David and Linda Cerone, and currently studies with Stephen Rose, principal second violin of the Cleveland Orchestra. While in Northeast Ohio, Ariel has served as acting concertmaster of the Ashland Symphony, concertmaster of the St. Ann Chamber Ensemble, and has performed with the Firelands Symphony, among others. Ariel enjoys exploring new music, and participated in a performance of Dan Visconti's Black Bend for string quartet at the 2008 Cleveland Arts Prize Ceremony. She also premiered the Violin Sonata by Herman Whitfield III in May of 2008. Ariel teaches violin and viola, both independently and as a faculty member of the Aurora School of Music. Also having a passion for writing, Ariel has worked with Dr. Laurie Shulman, program annotator for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, writing program notes for various Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra concerts in 2004 and 2005. Her notes on Samuel Barber's Violin Concerto were published in four different languages for the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra's tour of Europe in June, 2004.