Nicole Sutterfield began her musical studies on the viola at age 4 after falling in love with its sound at a Minnesota Orchestra concert. Since then, she has performed at venues across the country, including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Nicole won first place in the Chicago Viola Society competition and was a semi-finalist in the 2003 Primrose Memorial Scholarship competition. She is currently principal violist in the Mozart Classical Orchestra of Orange County and has also performed with the Minnesota Orchestra and Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. She holds a Professional Studies Certificate from the Colburn School Conservatory of Music in addition to a Bachelor of Music and Minor in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. Committed to promoting quality music education, Nicole has been teaching string lessons for ten years; in 2006, she worked with over 20,000 students in Minnesota through an original guest artist-in-residence program entitled “Music is Instrumental”. She has also served as a Teaching Artist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and is currently Manager of Community Engagement Programs at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music.