Ilana Matfis

Viola

Ilana Matfis is a freelance violist and teacher in the Bay Area. She holds a Masters degree in viola performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a B.A. in music from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. She is a member of the Sacramento Philharmonic and appears frequently with other Bay Area ensembles including the Berkeley, Oakland, Marin, Modesto and Silicon Valley Symphonies.  Ilana is also the violist of the Presidio Quartet, a group that presents recitals featuring both contemporary and classic string quartets. A dedicated teacher, Ilana maintains a private studio of violinists and violists and coaches chamber music for the Villa Sinfonia Foundation. She is a strong believer in the importance of public school music and is highly involved with the Berkeley Symphony’s Music Education Program, giving demonstrations and performances in all eleven of the Berkeley public elementary schools. Ilana is the violist for the Berkeley Youth Orchestra’s Artist in Residence string quartet; she spends her Saturday mornings coaching viola sectionals, chamber music, and teaching a viola class for violinists. Originally from Massachusetts, Ilana now resides in Berkeley with her boyfriend (an accomplished trombonist) and her cat.