Jennifer Stumm – viola

Known for the “opal-like beauty” of her sound, Jennifer appears on the world’s great stages as both a solo violist and the artistic director of Ilumina.
She is a winner of the William Primrose, Ginevra and Concert Artist Guild competitions.
Jennifer is the founder and director of Ilumina, a São Paulo-based arts collective, festival and social equity initiative that has quickly risen to prominence as a modern model for 21st century creativity and the advancement of diverse talent.
An enthusiastic speaker and writer, she recently spoke at NASA about how the arts can contribute to innovation toward a better world.
Jennifer has released two acclaimed solo albums.
Winner of the prestigious BBC New Generation artist award and the Borletti Buil-toni Trust for her work in chamber music, she appears at major festivals such as Verbier, Marlboro, Stavanger, Spoleto, Aldeburgh, Delft and IMS Prussia Cove and appears regularly with Spectrum Concerts Berlin.
Jennifer Stumm teaches at the Vienna City University of Music and Art. She was International President of Viola Studies at the Royal College of Music in London, guest professor at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and at the Hochschule für Musik in Leipzig. She holds masterclasses all over the world.
Born in Atlanta, Jennifer first heard the viola when she was eight years old and, enchanted by its sound, began playing in her school orchestra. She studied with Karen Tuttle at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School, and later with Nobuko Imai and Steven Isserlis. She also pursued interests in politics at the University of Pennsylvania. Jennifer plays a 1589 Gasparo da Salò viola, generously on loan from a private fund.