Ralph Fielding

Ralph Fielding joined the Utah Symphony viola section at the age of 18 and then went on to play for 16 years with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has since helped people prepare musically and mentally for the most competitive of performance situations, and his orchestral repertoire students continue to win positions in ICSOM and regional orchestras. He has presented master classes at such institutions as Oberlin College, Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, University of Michigan, San Francisco Conservatory and Rice University, as well as having given nearly 200 lessons over the years to New World Symphony viola Fellows (who include two of his former college students during the 2023-2024 season). Mr. Fielding has been an adjudicator for ASTA, MTNA, Suzuki, and other competitions, and he was the Chair of the Jury for the 8th Primrose International Viola Competition. His college teaching positions have included the University of Southern California and the tuition-free Conservatory of Music at Lynn University.

In addition to his classical work, Mr. Fielding played in the string section for dozens of Hollywood film scores, sound recordings and TV shows, and is the proud owner of a Zeta Jazz Fusion electric 5-string violin/viola. He holds a B.A., M.M. and M.B.A. from Yale University, where his main teachers were Raphael Hillyer (original violist of the Juilliard Quartet) and Kazuhide Isomura (violist of the Tokyo Quartet).