once upon a time, this software developer wanted to go into music, so they bought the domain “violinmeiling” to use as their professional website. eventually, the software developer got older and decided to shift their focus toward other pursuits, so “violinmeiling” became a tech portfolio instead — with the story of how we got here.
Bio
Meiling Mathur has been studying violin since they were nine under the instructions of Bacco Liu, Aaron Janse, and Min-Young Kim, as well as the Daedalus String Quartet, Artaria String Quartet, Gemini Piano Trio, and Meadowlark String Quartet. Meiling made their debut at age 13 with the Gemini Piano Trio in Maryland and was recognized in the MNSOTA’s 2021 Mary West Solo Competition and the Progressive Musicians’s 2020 International Violin and Piano Competition. As a member of the Sedarski Quartet and Hildegard Quartet, Meiling’s chamber ensembles performed at various gigs, participated in the 2022 and 2023 Artaria String Quartet’s Stringwood Chamber Music Festival, and were recognized in the 2023 MSHSL Solo/Ensemble Festival.
Meiling served as concertmaster of the Minnetonka High School Symphony Orchestra and toured Southern Italy as principal second violin of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) Symphony Orchestra in 2022. Meiling was invited to perform with the Minnetonka High School Wind Ensemble and Concert Choir, as well as conduct the Minnetonka High School Concert Orchestra. In addition to performance, Meiling taught violin privately from 2020 until their graduation and founded the Scherzo Music Tutoring program in 2022 to provide orchestra students without private teachers with volunteer lessons from upperclassmen.
Meiling currently studies with Min-Young Kim at the University of Pennsylvania. Meiling has performed in Schrödinger’s Quartet and other chamber ensembles as a violinist and violist through Penn Chamber under the instruction of the University of Pennsylvania’s Music Department faculty. Meiling’s current chamber groups have performed at campus events and program recitals, and Meiling has also been involved with the pit orchestras for Penn’s student theatre groups.
Outside of violin, Meiling studied piano for 11 years and has been writing their own songs for about two years now. Meiling is currently learning how to sing and play the guitar.
Awards
Mary West Solo Competition – Honorable Mention (2021) – Minnesota String and Orchestra Teachers Association
International Violin, Piano, and Guitar Competition – Honorable Mention (2020) – Progressive Musicians (New York)
National School Orchestra Award (2023) – Minnetonka High School Symphony Orchestra
Solo/Ensemble Festival Awards (2021 – 2023) – Minnesota State High School League
Superior Rating + Perfect Score + Best in Site (2023), Superior Rating + Perfect Score (2022), Superior Rating (2021)
Solo Repertoire
- Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35: I. Allegro moderato (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
- Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47: I. Allegro moderato (Jean Sibelius)
- Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A Minor, Op. 28 (Camille Saint-Saëns)
- Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op. 61: I. Allegro non troppo (Camille Saint-Saëns)
- Violin Concerto in G Minor, Op. 26: I. Vorspiel: Allegro moderato and III. Finale: Allegro energico (Max Bruch)
- Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64 (Felix Mendelssohn)
- Violin Concerto, Op. 14: I. Allegro (Samuel Barber)
- Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20 (Pablo Sarasate)
- Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26: I. Vorspiel: Allegro moderato and III. Finale: Allegro energico (Max Bruch)
- Violin Concerto in C Major, Op. 48: I. Allegro molto e con brio (Dmitri Kabalevsky)
- Caprice No. 19 in E-flat Major (Niccolò Paganini)
- Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001: I. Adagio and II. Fuga (J.S. Bach)
Ensembles
Schrödinger’s Quartet | 2023 – 2024
First violinist, Penn Chamber
Studied through Penn Chamber under the instruction of the Penn Music Department faculty. Performed at recitals and campus events.
Repertoire
- String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132: IV. Alla marcia, assai vivace (attacca) and V. Allegro appassionato – Allegro vivace (L.V. Beethoven)
- String Quartet No. 4 in D major, Op. 83: III. Allegretto and IV. Allegretto (Dmitri Shostakovich)
- Piano Quintet in D minor, Op. 89: I. Molto moderato (Gabriel Fauré) – Viola
Sedarski Quartet | 2022 – 2023
Violinist, Artaria Chamber Music School
Studied with the Artaria String Quartet through the Artaria Chamber Music School. Participated in the 2022 and 2023 Stringwood Chamber Music Festivals and recieved masterclasses and coachings from guest artists and faculty. Performed at GTCYS fundraising events and gigs.
Repertoire
- String Quintet in E♭ major, Op. 97, B. 180, I: Allegro non tanto (Antonin Dvorak)
- Quartet No. 1 in B minor, Op. 50, I: Allegro (Sergei Prokofiev)
- String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465, I: Adagio, allegro (W.A. Mozart)
- String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111, I: Allegro non troppo, ma con brio (Johannes Brahms)
- String Quartet No. 3, I: Gliding (Kevin Lau)
- String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat major, Op. 74, I: Poco adagio – allegro (L.V. Beethoven)
Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS) | 2016 – 2023
Principal second violin, Symphony (2020 – 2022)
Associate concertmaster, Philharmonic (2019 – 2020)
Served as principal second violinist during Symphony Orchestra’s 2022 Southern Italy Tour. Selected to perform Vivaldi’s Concerto for 2 Oboes as part of chamber ensemble during the 2021 Symphony Winter Concert, 2022 Orchestrating Opportunities benefit, and 2022 Southern Italy Tour. Invited to speak at the 2023 Spring Festival. Served as a GTCYS Ambassador from 2016 to 2023, and created presentations to promote GTCYS at school. Selected to be on GTCYS Social Media Team for their 2022 Southern Italy Tour. Collaborated with colleagues and worked under supervision to create social media content and blog posts. Mentored elementary-age violinists through GTCYS’s student mentorship program in 2020.
Repertoire
- Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47 (Dmitri Shostakovich)
- Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, B. 178 (Antonin Dvorak)
- Romeo and Juliet, TH 42, ČW 39 (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)
- Concerto for 2 Oboes in D minor, RV 535 (Antonio Vivaldi)
- Symphony in D Minor (César Franck)
Hildegard Quartet | 2022 – 2023
Founding member and first violinist, Minnetonka High School Chamber Music Club
Received Superior rating in the 2023 MSHSL Solo and Ensemble Festival. Performed at senior centers, gigs, and school events. Performed with the Minnetonka High School Symphony Orchestra.
Repertoire
- String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, I: Allegro ma non troppo (Antonin Dvorak)
- String Quartet No. 2 in D Major, I: Allegro moderato (Alexander Borodin)
- Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (Vaughan Williams) – with full orchestra
Minnesota All-State Orchestra | 2021 – 2023
Associate principal second violin (2021 – 2022)
Repertoire
- Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, Op. 100, I: Andante and IV: Allegro giocoso (Sergei Prokofiev)
- Three Latin American Dances (Gabriela Lena Frank)
- Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93, III: Allegretto–Largo–Più mosso and IV: Andante–Allegro–L’istesso tempo (Dmitri Shostakovich)
- Symphony No. 1 “Afro-American”, IV: Aspiration (William Grant Still)
- The Bamboula (Samuel Coleridge-Taylor)
Minnetonka High School Symphony Orchestra | 2020 – 2023
Concertmaster
Received Student Recognition Award (2021) and National High School Orchestra Award (2022) for musical and leadership contributions to orchestra.
Repertoire
- Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28 (Camille Saint-Saëns) – Senior solo
- Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (Vaughan Williams) – Principal violin
Camerata Chamber Orchestra | 2020 – 2023
Violin soloist (2023)
Associate principal viola (2022 – 2023)
Received Superior rating + Best in Site at 2023 MSHSL Solo and Ensemble Festival. Collaborated on the composition and premiering of Ken Smith’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major (original composition).
Repertoire
- Holberg Suite, Op. 40: I. Praeludium (Edvard Grieg)
- Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8, I: Vivace and II. Allegro (A. Corelli)