San Francisco Symphony ‘Playbill’ features Hall of Fame’s Diane Nicholeris

Posted on January 28th, 2019

First violinist Diane Nicholeris, inducted into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in September 2018 for Distinguished Professional Achievement, is featured in the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) Orchestra’s Playbill, as part of an ongoing series to introduce musicians to SFS orchestra fans and supporters.

The Playbill article is available at: https://www.sfsymphony.org/dianenicholeris

A former color guard captain with the St. Thomas Moore Squires of Braintree, Massachusetts, she credits her early drum corps experience with providing the impetus for her career.

Now an instructor of violin and viola students at San Jose University, she began her violin lessons at age 10, hoping to inspire her father to take up the instrument again. One year after she began lessons, she broke her wrist riding an escalator and needed extensive surgery. Because of the range, motion, and use of the hand that violin playing required, practicing became a good form of physical therapy. Although doctors did not expect her to regain any wrist function she persisted for six years to regain about 70 per cent use of wrist motion.

She studied with Joseph Silverstein at Boston University and Sylvia Rosenberg at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, where she received her Bachelor of Music Degree. Studying at Tanglewood she met Jahja Ling, former Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, who suggested in 1984 that she audition for a violin vacancy. In addition to since providing more than 20 years of service to the orchestra, she has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic and the Music Academy of the West Orchestra in Santa Barbara, served as concertmaster for the Monterey County Symphony and enjoys performing chamber music concerts throughout the bay area.

She maintained her connection to drum and bugle corps over the years, occasionally judging contests.

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