Appearing August 17, August 19, August 20
Lauded for his “engaging” performances and “expressive and intense” playing (American Record Guide), violist Jacob Adams is Assistant Professor of Viola at the University of Alabama. Since making his solo debut with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at age 17, he has performed at major venues around the world, including all three stages at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, the Rudolfinium in Prague, and the El Escorial Palace in Spain. Jacob performed on the prized Amati instruments at the Smithsonian and has appeared on stage with such diverse acts as the Kronos Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma, Suzanne Vega, Herbie Hancock, and Quincy Jones, among many others. He plays regularly with ensembles and orchestras around the country, including A Far Cry, Santa Barbara Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Mobile Symphony, and serves as principal violist of the Tuscaloosa Symphony.
2017 engagements include performances in Havana, Cuba and Wellington, New Zealand, as part of the International Viola Congress. A regular contributor to the American Viola Society, he has been published in theirJournal for the American Viola Society. Jacob’s debut album, “Czech Portraits,” was released in 2016 on the Centaur label, featuring original transcriptions of Janáček violin pieces as well as works by fellow Czech composers Zich, and Vycpálek with pianist Pascal Salomon.
Jacob is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, the Yale School of Music, and the University of California – Santa Barbara. His principal teachers have included HelenCallus, Jesse Levine, Roger Chase, Roland Vamos, Masao Kawasaki, and Catharine Carroll. In addition to his performance degrees, Jacob also holds an M.A. in Musicology from the University of California – Santa Barbara.
Jacob has held previous teaching positions at Yale University and the University of California – Santa Barbara. Recent guest master classes and performances include University of Washington, University of Georgia, University of Southern Mississippi, University of North Alabama, and Auburn University.
In his spare time, Jacob is likely to be found hiking, cooking, bowling (high score: 289), or following his beloved Cincinnati sports teams. He lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with his wife, Shannon. For more information, visit www.jacobviola.com.