Chicago Symphony Orchestra appoints two new violas

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has appointed two new members to its viola section – assistant principal viola of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Wei-Ting Kuo and Colorado Symphony Orchestra violist Danny Lai (pictured).

Taiwan-born Kuo was the first violist to win first prizes in the Hsing-Tien-Gong String Competition and the Young Artist Showcase String Competition. He was also a finalist in the 2008 Primrose International Viola Competition and a prizewinner at the 2009 Tokyo International Viola Competition. Kuo attended the Mannes College of Music in New York and the Colburn School in Los Angeles. He has been assistant principal viola in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra since 2011.

Prior to joining the Colorado Symphony, Danny Lai was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the CSO’s professional training orchestra, from 2010 to 2012, where he served as assistant principal and principal viola. He has participated in the Aspen Music Festival, Pacific Festival in Japan and Lucerne Festival Academy in Switzerland, and is co-founder of Music Heals Us, an organisation that uses music for ‘community building, cultural dialogue and spiritual healing’.

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