Janna
Lower
School of Music
Professor
Specialization: Violin/Viola
T: (352)
273-3175
F: (352)
392-0461
E:
jlower@ufl.edu
Address:
303 MUB P.O. Box 117900
Gainesville, Fl 32611-7900
Janna Lower is Professor of Violin and Head of the Strings Area at the University of Florida. Preceding her appointment there, she was Artist Teacher of Violin at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.
Dr. Lower has received accolades on three continents for her performances, with appearances throughout Europe and North and South America. She has been featured as recitalist, chamber musician, concerto soloist, as well as concertmaster and principal 2nd of orchestras and festivals. In Chile in particular she has performed extensively throughout the country: in 2009 she performed concerts in Santiago, Talca, Concepcion, Valdivia, and Puerto Montt, and in 2008 she was featured as concerto soloist with the Orquesta de Talca for the 265th anniversary of Talca - Maule. She has also presented masterclasses from the far north of the country, in Arica, to the south, in Puerto Montt, and has worked with hundreds of young violinists.
Along with her husband, cellist Mark Tanner, she recently founded the Tropikordia Foundation, dedicated to promoting string playing. The Foundation supports teaching fellowships and provides string instruments and supplies to children around the world, among other activities. Several Chilean students currently have violins and bows from the foundation.
In a continuing effort to broaden her musical experience, Dr. Lower auditioned for and won a one-year appointment as concertmaster of the Charlotte (NC) Symphony Orchestra for the 2002-03 season (a sabbatical year from the University). She led the orchestra in 68 performances as well as appeared as concerto soloist four times in their Mostly Mozart Series.
She has participated in many national and international festivals, including festivals in Brazil, Chile, St. Barthelemy, Ontario, Crested Butte (CO), Telluride (CO), Boone (NC), Santa Fe (NM), Ventura (CA), Kansas City (MO), and Bedford Springs (PA). As a founder of the prestigious Sunflower Music Festival, she was a frequent concerto soloist and featured musician, performing with musicians from top orchestras and universities around the country during her 22-year affiliation with the festival. She also served as Assistant Artistic Director of the Buzzard's Bay Festival for 16 years, organizing the chamber music concerts of this highly regarded festival in Marion, MA.
She has presented masterclasses at such institutions as the University of Southern California, Penn State University, University of Arizona, New World School of the Arts, Duquesne University, University of South Florida, Davidson College, Louisiana State University, to mention just a few, as well as in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Canada .
When she was fifteen she was accepted to the Juilliard Pre-College Division, and went on to receive both Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the Juilliard School, under the tutelage of Joseph Fuchs. For four consecutive summers she was a performer for the International Masterclasses of Nathan Milstein in Zurich. After a 2-year residency at the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada, touring across the country, she completed her education at the University of Michigan, where she received the Doctorate of Musical Arts, studying with Camilla Wicks.
Her recorded works include the Lou Harrison Violin Concerto on New World Records, as well as chamber works on Opus One and Capstone Records.