Alison Harney

Alison Harney began violin studies at the age of seven in Lancaster, California, making her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic when she was 13. After winning top prizes in several state and national competitions, Harney continued her studies at the Eastman School of Music and the New England Conservatory, graduating from both institutions with honors. She has held the position of Principal Second Violin in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra since the 2000/2001 season, after previously holding the Associate Principal Second Violin chair beginning in the 1993/1994 season, and the Assistant Principal Second Violin chair in the 1992/1993 season.

She has won several prestigious awards, including the Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School and the Grace B. Jackson Award for outstanding performance at the Tanglewood Music Center. From 1989 to 1992, she was a member of the award-winning Franciscan String Quartet, formerly the quartet-in-residence at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

Harney has concertized throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, both as a soloist and as a member of the Franciscan Quartet. She is also an avid chamber music collaborator and has participated in chamber music festivals nationwide. From 2002-2006, Harney was Associate Concertmaster of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony in Idaho, as well as the Music Director of the festival’s Chamber Series. Other summer activities have included the Portland Chamber Music Festival in Maine, and the Cactus Pear Chamber Music Festival in San Antonio. She also enjoys teaching young violinists and has mentored musicians in the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Harney has performed as a soloist numerous times with the SLSO. Most recently, she performed Vivaldi’s Concerto in F major under the baton of conductor Nicholas McGegan in 2012. In 2014, she again performed Vivaldi – this time his “Winter” from The Four Seasons, under the baton of Steven Jarvi. She has also soloed on Bach’s Double Violin Concerto and Vivaldi’s Triple Concerto with Jaime Laredo, the Bach Oboe and Violin Concerto with Peter Bowman, and Mozart’s Concerto No. 3 with Alan Gilbert conducting. In 2005 she performed the Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, with fellow SLSO musicians Mark Sparks and Jennifer Nitchman with Nicholas McGegan conducting; and in 2007, again under the baton of McGegan, she performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5.

When not playing with the SLSO, Harney spends time with her two cats, Leonidas Kavakos Harney-kins and his brother Pumpkin. She also studies the Feldenkrais method of movement and Pilates and enjoys cooking.