Aaron Packard

Aaron Packard maintains a varied career as a violinist, performing music of many genres and periods. He is an avid improviser and proponent of new music, having worked closely with many contemporary composers such as Ellen Lindquist, Elizabeth Adams, Ted Hearne, Henryk Strindberg, and John Luther Adams to find and experiment with new sound ideas. He currently teaches at the Joy of Music Program in Worcester, MA, and at the Groton School in Groton, MA. Performance collaborators include Orfeo Duo, Avery Ensemble, Mantra Percussion, rapper Self Suffice, harpsichordist Gabe Shuford, violinist Vita Wallace, violist David Yang, and bassist Nick Walker. He is a founding member of the Hartford-based Cuatro Puntos Ensemble (cuatropuntos.org), with whom he can be heard on many recordings on the Arkadash and Métier labels. He is also a member of the New England Repertory Orchestra, the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, and the Worcester Symphony Orchestra. Since 2007 Aaron has been honored to perform in and around Saranac Lake, NY as a part of the Loon Lake Live concert series.

Major violin teachers include Greg Fulkerson, Mark Steinberg, and the late Mitchell Stern, but he is proud to say he was really started on the path toward becoming a listener by the incomparable pianist Gil Kalish, and cellist Tim Eddy of the Orion String Quartet. When he’s not teaching or performing, you can probably find Aaron chopping wood, reading a book (mostly sci-fi, etymology, and history!) or doing a crossword puzzle.

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