Violinist Harriet Vorona Taps Into Local Music Scene

Harriet Vorona is a classically trained violinist with a penchant for chamber music. Two years ago, the Annandale resident formed the Fairfax Chamber Ensemble with several other local musicians. “Playing in an ensemble is a very intimate way of making music,” Vorona said. “You really have to pay very close attention to what everyone around you is doing.”

The two-year-old ensemble’s repertoire includes chamber works for strings, clarinet and piano in various combinations. Vorona said that in a chamber group, it’s the musicians who make all of the decisions. “You interpret the music the way you really want it,” she said. “It just feels really good to decide what pieces of music you want to play and to be in charge of what you do. Of course you’re in a group and there’s a dialogue going on, but we like each other a lot. We are all friends. It’s just a very joyful way of making music.”

Vorona is also an active freelance musician in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and has worked with various orchestras and chamber music groups, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the National Gallery Orchestra, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and the Concert Opera. But her main focus is on the Fairfax Chamber Ensemble.

“I would love for us to have a couple of concerts every season so we play more regularly,” she said. “Right now, we perform twice a year and we would really like to work on our outreach and have performances where children can attend. That’s our target.”

Long before Vorona ever became interested in chamber music, she wanted to be the concertmaster for a famous orchestra. The violinist grew up in the small German town of Bad Pyrmont and began taking violin lessons at six. She stayed with her violin teacher, who became like a second mother to her, until she entered music school.

She earned a Masters of Music from the Musikhochschule in Frankfurt and a Performer Diploma from Indiana University. She then pursued postgraduate studies in Jerusalem for a year. At Indiana University, Vorona met her husband Andrew while a student in his Hebrew class. They were married a few years later and moved to Northern Virginia in 1998. 



Soon after moving to the U.S., she began teaching violin lessons and freelancing with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. “When I started freelancing, I realized it’s really the chamber music that I like,” she said. “I like the repertoire of it a lot. It’s just very appealing to me.” 

Vorona’s freelancing and teaching came to a halt when she became a mom. Her children, ages 10, eight and four, are all musically gifted. Two play instruments and one sings in the Fairfax Choral Society.

She recently picked up teaching private lessons again and prefers teaching from home in a one-on-one environment. She only has three little beginners at present but would love to teach a good mix of little ones and teenagers.

The humble violinist is quick to speak of the ensemble but not of her own talents. Pianist Mark Vogel, a fellow member of the Fairfax Chamber Ensemble, described Vorona as one of the most gifted instrumentalists he has ever worked with.

“As a soloist, she demonstrates an astounding control of the violin, allowing her to create the most glorious musical phrases,” Vogel said. “As a chamber musician, she is able to blend with her fellow musicians, while at the same time standing out for important violin solo lines. In an orchestral setting, Harriet skillfully employs her leadership skills amongst the other instrumentalists in her section. A highly trained and skilled violinist, Harriet Vorona is a true pleasure to collaborate with."

Check out video of the Fairfax Chamber Ensemble performing at a church in Oakton .