Kentucky native, Carey Skinner, was raised in a musical family and began studying violin at just two years old. Falling in love with its sonorous sounds, she switched to viola at age eleven. In 2011, she joined the studio of Ivo-Jan van der Werff at Rice University where she earned her Bachelor of Music with an award for Distinction in Research and Creative Works. This award was earned primarily through work with her contemporary ensemble Meraki which collaborates with young composers and seeks to bridge the gap between traditional and modern performance.
Carey graduated in May 2017 with her Masters in Viola Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Lynne Ramsey. As an avid chamber performer, she joined her colleagues of the Coventry String Quartet as the Quartet In Residence for Steamboat Springs Strings Festival in 2016.
Recently, Carey began working as a Campaign Associate for the Cleveland Orchestra. She will be focusing on project management and interacting with nearly every subsection of the Philanthropy & Advancement Department as the Orchestra enters its 100th Season. She is excited to start on this new career path and looks at it as a wonderful learning opportunity as well as a way to be an advocate for her beloved music community. Carey attributes some of her success to the NRO saying, “I genuinely believe that, without my internship through the NRO, I would have not been called for multiple job interviews, nor would I have been prepared for my current position. I got to work closely with every staff member, giving me a glimpse into the world of a small non-profit. I learned so much from witnessing all the moving pieces that go into running an orchestra and that experience was truly invaluable. Thank you to the NRO staff, interns and musicians for launching my career in such a meaningful way this summer!”
In her spare time, Carey enjoys cooking, teaching viola, and performing around the city with the unique and vibrant community created by Classical Revolution Cleveland.