General Manager / Violin
blake.espy@project440.org
Born in Savannah, Georgia, violinist Blake Espy has enjoyed a diverse career as an active recitalist and performer with orchestras and chamber ensembles. He has served as Concertmaster of the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra, Concertmaster of the Western Piedmont Symphony, Associate Concertmaster of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony. He also spent one summer in Mexico City performing with Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería.

Mr. Espy has also been a violinist in the La Catrina Quartet, in residence at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. As a member of the quartet, Mr. Espy has performed in over 38 states in the US and Mexico. Last season highlights included quartet performances in Calcutta, India as well as Rome, Italy. The previous season, La Catrina Quartet was awarded a commission from Symphony Space in New York City to fund the second string quartet of Roberto Sierra. In May 2011 the premiere was attended by Vivien Schweitzer of the New York Times who wrote that the first performance was “vividly rendered by the La Catrina Quartet”. Recently, the quartet recorded with Cuarteto Latinoamericano on the Dorian Label, released January 31, 2012. This recording just won the 2012 Latin Grammy for Best Classical Album.

In 2007, Mr. Espy was invited to become a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL, a professional studies orchestra whose alumni have gone on to join the ranks of professional orchestras all over the US and the world.  In this program, he was given the opportunity to act as a rotating concertmaster, chamber musician, and educator to young musicians in the Miami area.

Mr. Espy holds a Bachelor of Music Performance Degree from Western Michigan University, a Master of Music Degree from Louisiana State University, and an Artist’s Diploma from SUNY at Purchase.