Larissa Freier was born and raised in Port Townsend, beginning her violin studies at age 5 under instruction of Pat Yearian, Kristin Smith, and mainly Barbara Henry. She continued her studies with Professor Maria Sampen and Timothy Christie at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash.
Larissa graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puget Sound in May 2017, with a Bachelor of Music in violin performance and a minor in German. Larissa acted as co-concertmaster and section leader of the University Symphony Orchestra and was a member of the chamber music program, performing often in student groups and recitals as well as alongside faculty on the University of Puget Sound Jacobsen Concert Series.
Larissa spent her summers studying and performing at highly acclaimed music festivals around the country, including the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine, the Brevard Music Festival in North Carolina, and the Kairos Chamber Music Lyceum in Eastern Washington. Over the years, she has had the honor of performing onstage with renowned soloists such as Itzhak Perlman, Garrick Olson, and Vadym Kholodenko, and she has also participated in violin masterclasses led by Paul Kantor, Frank Huang, Aaron Berofsky, Jubal Fulks, Steve Miahky, and Sergiu Schwartz.
Larissa currently lives and works in Tacoma, WA, while teaching violin/viola lessons at a music store in Gig Harbor. Other than music, she is passionate about preparing and eating good food, running, and going on outdoor adventures with friends.
“Playing the Bruch Violin Concerto now brings back memories of my junior year of high school, when I first learned and performed parts of the piece. While preparing for this concert, I discovered how my interpretation and understanding of the music has changed over the last six years and also how much technical progress I have made. I am excited to play it with full orchestra this time around!” ~ Larissa Freier