Violinist Monica Pegis is the youngest of a family of seven musicians. Beginning her musical studies at age two (or so she has been told, as she doesn’t actually remember her first lessons), she has spent time at (and received various degrees from) Eastman, Hartt, New England Conservatory and the Longy School of Music. Along the way she has performed as a soloist with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, as a solo and chamber musician in such venues as Boston’s Jordan Hall, and as an orchestral musician in numerous orchestras on the East Coast, including the Hartford and Florida West Coast Symphony Orchestras. An avid interpreter of contemporary classical music, Monica has appeared on concert series such as the Callithumpian Consort and the Enchanted Circle in Boston, and has recorded for the Elfin and Albany labels.
As chamber music in its many guises was her first and most enduring love, Monica is a frequent performer at music festivals including the Sarasota Music Festival in Florida, Yellow Barn Music Festival in Vermont, International Musical Arts Institute in Maine, and the Banff Centre in Alberta, Canada. She has performed and recorded with the Pegis Quartet, Trio Viscaria, Santai Trio, and is currently a quite thrilled to be a member of the Acheron Quartet.
Her principal teacher and mentor (since the age of eleven) has been Eric Rosenblith, but she also counts Michele Auclair and Steve Drury as important positive influences. Faculty at the New School of Music in Cambridge, her increasing studio of mostly adult students is a continual source of challenges, fun, thrills and spills and the occasional triumph.
Non-musical pursuits include collecting useful skills (installing circuit breakers, studying Latin, making martinis) as well as non-useful skills (finally figuring out Excel).
