Kevin Bishop, viola
Violist, conductor, and composer/arranger Kevin Bishop has been referred to as “an enthusiastic young violist” by Chamber Music Magazine, and a “brilliant young entrepreneur” by Classical KUSC FM Los Angeles. His playing was said to "bring lushness to the movement that easily touched the soul" by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. In a review of one of his arrangements of Afghan folksong, recorded by Cuatro Puntos for Toccata Classics/Naxos, MusicWeb International said Kevin’s style “has something of Alan Hovhaness and his gift for evoking angelic celestial dancing.” He is featured as a viola soloist, chamber musician, and arranger on a Toccata Classics album titled “The Rosegarden of Light.” The album has received five-star reviews and airplay across the world, most notably from BBC Radio (UK) and National Public Radio (USA.)
Kevin recently spent a year in Kabul, Afghanistan where he was Director of Orchestral Studies at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM.) In a nation where women and children face enormous daily challenges, and where only a few years ago all music was outlawed, ANIM provides a dynamic, challenging, and safe learning environment for all students regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religious sect, or socio-economic circumstances. He led the country’s only orchestra- the Afghan Youth Symphony- as well as overseeing the country’s only all female ensemble- the Afghan Women’s Orchestra “Zohra.” He also taught the conducting and composition programs as well as violin and viola. As the orchestra's conductor and music director, Kevin led the Afghan Women's Orchestra "Zohra" in a performance at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, which was attended by hundreds of world leaders and watched by millions across the globe. He also led the orchestra in sold out performances in Zurich, Geneva, and Berlin. In Afghanistan he led the Afghan Youth Symphony in performances for presidents, ambassadors, and the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations.
He has recently performed, conducted, and taught masterclasses in Bolivia, Brazil, England, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Afghanistan, and both coasts of the USA, as well as being a guest lecturer at the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Germany.
As an international competition winner on viola, Kevin made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City and was featured on the “New York’s Finest” series at Lincoln Center. Kevin is a committed chamber musician, and has toured the globe as a founder and member of Cuatro Puntos, a group of chamber musicians dedicated to global cooperation and peace through the writing, performance, and teaching of music worldwide. He has been resident violist for the Southern California Brahms Festival, where he performed the complete chamber music of Brahms for the region’s top concert series and venues, and was guest conductor and part of the quartet-in-residence at the Strings Del Rio festival in Arizona for four years. He has been a guest with renowned ensembles such as the St. Petersburg String Quartet, Avery Ensemble, and Avanti Quartet.
Following his debut as a concerto soloist with orchestra at age 13, he has frequented the stage as a soloist, including under renown conductor Nicholas McGegan. He has performed at the internationally televised Grammy Awards, and in performances with celebrity artists such as the Foo Fighters, Dionne Warwick, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. He has performed on film scores in several countries, including for BBC, and shared the stage with personalities like Clint Eastwood and Ryan Seacrest.
Before becoming a founding member of Cuatro Puntos, Kevin was founder and director of the Western Society of Chamber Music. With this organization he helped transform the musical scene in his inner-city, low-income hometown outside of Los Angeles. He led the creation of education initiatives that included free lessons, scholarships, and performance opportunities. He also led the creation of a small professional orchestra, and performed in hundreds of chamber music concerts across the Southwestern United States. In Connecticut he was principal violist for the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra, a dynamic group of professionals that champion new music and innovative programming as part of their full concert season. He was also part of the Aternus Chamber Orchestra.
As a conductor, Kevin has twice led the All-State, 120-member Connecticut Music Educator’s Association (CMEA) Elementary Honor Orchestra. He was orchestra director for four years at the Strings Del Rio Summer Festival in Arizona, and served as conductor of the string ensemble at the University of Connecticut School for the Arts. He was conductor of the orchestras at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.
As an educator, spent several years on faculty for the Hartt School Community Division of the University of Hartford and on faculty at the University of Connecticut Community School of the Arts. He has been on the summer viola and chamber music faculty at the Wildwood Summer Music Institute in California, the Strings Del Rio Festival in Arizona, and the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul.
He holds degrees from the University of California (BM,) The Hartt School of the University of Hartford (MM,) and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Germany.
Discography: The Rosegarden of Light - Toccata Classics (TOCC0342) - distributed outside of the UK by Naxos
Read an article about Kevin and Cuatro Puntos on NPR.
Read about Kevin and the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.
Listen to Kevin on WNPR (January 2016)
Listen to Kevin on WNPR (February 2017)
Kevin recently spent a year in Kabul, Afghanistan where he was Director of Orchestral Studies at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM.) In a nation where women and children face enormous daily challenges, and where only a few years ago all music was outlawed, ANIM provides a dynamic, challenging, and safe learning environment for all students regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religious sect, or socio-economic circumstances. He led the country’s only orchestra- the Afghan Youth Symphony- as well as overseeing the country’s only all female ensemble- the Afghan Women’s Orchestra “Zohra.” He also taught the conducting and composition programs as well as violin and viola. As the orchestra's conductor and music director, Kevin led the Afghan Women's Orchestra "Zohra" in a performance at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, which was attended by hundreds of world leaders and watched by millions across the globe. He also led the orchestra in sold out performances in Zurich, Geneva, and Berlin. In Afghanistan he led the Afghan Youth Symphony in performances for presidents, ambassadors, and the Under-Secretary General of the United Nations.
He has recently performed, conducted, and taught masterclasses in Bolivia, Brazil, England, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Afghanistan, and both coasts of the USA, as well as being a guest lecturer at the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Germany.
As an international competition winner on viola, Kevin made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City and was featured on the “New York’s Finest” series at Lincoln Center. Kevin is a committed chamber musician, and has toured the globe as a founder and member of Cuatro Puntos, a group of chamber musicians dedicated to global cooperation and peace through the writing, performance, and teaching of music worldwide. He has been resident violist for the Southern California Brahms Festival, where he performed the complete chamber music of Brahms for the region’s top concert series and venues, and was guest conductor and part of the quartet-in-residence at the Strings Del Rio festival in Arizona for four years. He has been a guest with renowned ensembles such as the St. Petersburg String Quartet, Avery Ensemble, and Avanti Quartet.
Following his debut as a concerto soloist with orchestra at age 13, he has frequented the stage as a soloist, including under renown conductor Nicholas McGegan. He has performed at the internationally televised Grammy Awards, and in performances with celebrity artists such as the Foo Fighters, Dionne Warwick, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. He has performed on film scores in several countries, including for BBC, and shared the stage with personalities like Clint Eastwood and Ryan Seacrest.
Before becoming a founding member of Cuatro Puntos, Kevin was founder and director of the Western Society of Chamber Music. With this organization he helped transform the musical scene in his inner-city, low-income hometown outside of Los Angeles. He led the creation of education initiatives that included free lessons, scholarships, and performance opportunities. He also led the creation of a small professional orchestra, and performed in hundreds of chamber music concerts across the Southwestern United States. In Connecticut he was principal violist for the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra, a dynamic group of professionals that champion new music and innovative programming as part of their full concert season. He was also part of the Aternus Chamber Orchestra.
As a conductor, Kevin has twice led the All-State, 120-member Connecticut Music Educator’s Association (CMEA) Elementary Honor Orchestra. He was orchestra director for four years at the Strings Del Rio Summer Festival in Arizona, and served as conductor of the string ensemble at the University of Connecticut School for the Arts. He was conductor of the orchestras at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.
As an educator, spent several years on faculty for the Hartt School Community Division of the University of Hartford and on faculty at the University of Connecticut Community School of the Arts. He has been on the summer viola and chamber music faculty at the Wildwood Summer Music Institute in California, the Strings Del Rio Festival in Arizona, and the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul.
He holds degrees from the University of California (BM,) The Hartt School of the University of Hartford (MM,) and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Germany.
Discography: The Rosegarden of Light - Toccata Classics (TOCC0342) - distributed outside of the UK by Naxos
Read an article about Kevin and Cuatro Puntos on NPR.
Read about Kevin and the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.
Listen to Kevin on WNPR (January 2016)
Listen to Kevin on WNPR (February 2017)
