Sonsoles Llodra, violin
Sonsoles is originally from Montevideo, Uruguay. She started her violin studies at the age of six. After graduating from high school, she won a chair at the Orquesta Filarmónica de Montevideo, the official orchestra of the capital city. In 2009, she decided to continue her violin studies and came to the United States to study with Venezuelan violinist Edward Pulgar at Carson-Newman University. While in Tennessee, she performed regularly with orchestras in the area such as Symphony of the Mountains. After attending several summer music festivals, both nationally and internationally, Sonsoles decided to pursue a Masters in Suzuki Pedagogy at Ithaca College under Suzuki Pedagogue Carrie Reuning-Hummel.
While in Ithaca, Sonsoles enjoyed the best of both worlds: playing in numerous concerts throughout the year, both in orchestras as well as a member of the graduate string quartet, and having the privilege to observe and teach both private and group class lessons at Ithaca Talent Education and Ithaca College. As a graduate assistant, Sonsoles taught string pedagogy and string method classes to undergraduate students, was the violin assistant of Susan Waterbury and held her own violin class for music minors.
Sonsoles became faculty of Buffalo Suzuki Strings in the fall of 2015. In addition to private lessons, she has also coached numerous chamber groups as part of chamber music camps at BSS, as well as throughout the year. Sonsoles recently accepted a position with the Toledo Symphony School of Music in Toledo, Ohio.
An avid performer, Ms. Llodrá is a member of several professional groups and orchestras such as the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, the MostArts Festival Orchestra, and the Buffalo Tango Orkestra, among others. The latter, released their first album in 2018, “Ecos del Pasado” (echoes from the past), and brings tango to several regions of western New York with numerous performances throughout the year.