KOA STRING QUARTET

A Maryland native, Thomas Chafe has studied music most of his life, starting with violin at age 4, and beginning viola at age 15 with Karin Brown. He earned his undergraduate degree under the tutelage of Peter Slowik at the Oberlin Conservatory, where he served as the principal violist of the Oberlin Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra and his Master’s degree from the University of Michigan with Caroline Coade where he was principal of the University Symphony Orchestra and a recipient of the Gustov Rosseels string quartet award.

 

He is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he served as principal of the school’s orchestra, as well as principal of the Peabody Youth Orchestra. He is also an avid chamber musician, frequently playing unusual repertoire in mixed ensembles, and has participated in chamber music festivals across the country, including Bowdoin International Music Festival and Foulger International Music Festival, National Music Festival, and Festival Napa Valley.

 

Outside of music, Chafe enjoys learning new and useless talents like squirrel training and solving Rubik's cubes. His fastest time solving one is 16 seconds.