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Chas WetherbeeChas Wetherbee, NRO alumnus, has a multi-faceted career, as First Violin of Carpe Diem, a full-time Professor at CU Boulder, and Concertmaster of the Boulder Philharmonic. 

In 2010 Charles decided to leave the Concertmaster position of the Columbus Symphony (which he held for almost 16 years) to pursue his own musical group, Carpe Diem String Quartet. Carpe Diem had just toured in Japan and Britain, so the time was right to make the quartet full time. Since the quartet members were living in different cities anyway, Chas decided to move to Colorado. He told the NRO, “While a member of the NRO, I met my future wife who grew up in Keystone Colorado, and we had always wished to move back to this beautiful area.”

In 2012, Mr. Wetherbee was invited to join the faculty of the College of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder. Chas enjoys living in Boulder, and continues, beyond his teaching responsibilities, to travel with the quartet and to pursue solo concerts as well. He states, “I was in Japan this past December, performing and recording a new violin concerto, the Storyteller, by Korine Fujiwara, with the Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra. Concerts with Carpe Diem annually take us around the country for performances, residencies and teaching. Over the years, I have recorded three violin concertos for the Naxos label, as well as recorded more than half  dozen chamber CDs, many with Carpe Diem.” More information on Carpe Diem can be found at www.cdsq.org

Chas continues, “I have always felt that the experience I gained with the NRO was an important part of why I was able to win my first job with the National Symphony Orchestra in 1989. I was the Principal Second Violin of that orchestra under Mstislav Rostropovich for 5 years before I accepted the position of Concertmaster with Columbus. The repertoire that we studied and the excellent leadership of Carl Topilow was invaluable in preparing me for my auditions and early years on the job. I now teach an orchestral repertoire class at CU and always reflect back on the things a learned while participating in the NRO. “
 
Chas has upcoming recording projects and concerts with Carpe Diem, including concerts and residencies in Oregon, Arizona, and Pittsburgh in January 2015!
 
Please read more about Chase HERE