VIOLIST
CASSIA DRAKE, a native of Southwest Florida, is known for her compelling and captivating performances across solo, chamber, and orchestral repertoire. She currently serves as the Assistant Principal Violist of the Naples Philharmonic.
As a soloist, Ms. Drake has received international recognition through competition and concerto appearances. She was awarded First Prize at the Debut International Music Competition, performing at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg in 2021, and was a finalist in the Special Berlin Award at the Berlin Philharmonie in 2020. Concerto performances include Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with violinist Evan Johanson and the Colburn Conservatory Orchestra under Ross Jamie Collins (2020), and again with the Colburn Zipper Orchestra conducted by Angus Webster (2019). That same year, she performed the work with violinist Kate Ardnt and the Sarasota Festival Orchestra led by Jeffrey Kahane. Other featured performances include Stamitz’s Viola Concerto with both the Southwest Florida Symphony (Nir Kabaretti, 2018) and Bravo! Festival Chamber Orchestra (Michael Gerdes, 2018), as well as Bartók’s Viola Concerto (Artis–Naples, 2015, conducted by Yaniv Segal) and Bruch’s Romanze (Artis–Naples, 2012, with Andrew Lane).
A dedicated chamber musician, Ms. Drake has performed with members of the Juilliard, Tokyo, Calidore, Aviv, and New Orford String Quartets, as well as with esteemed artists Antonio Lysy, Shmuel Ashkenasi, and Itzak Perlman. She has worked extensively with renowned chamber coaches including Clive Greensmith, Arnold Steinhardt, and Merry Peckham. From 2021 to 2025, she was a member of the Kontrapunktus Baroque Ensemble in Los Angeles, performing Baroque and early
In August 2025, Ms. Drake will give the world premiere of Fierce Urgency of the Now by Kelly-Marie Murphy, a work commissioned by Sandra Forbes and Stephen Grant, at the Toronto Summer Music Festival.
In addition to her performing career, Ms. Drake is passionate about teaching and sharing her knowledge with the next generation of young musicians. She has maintained a private teaching studio since 2013, working with violin and viola students of all levels. From 2022 to 2024, she served as a violin and viola instructor at the Fairfield School of Music in Connecticut. She has been a Colburn Teaching Fellow since 2017 and a sectional coach for the Colburn Youth Orchestra since 2019. At Colburn, she also taught in the Jumpstart Young Musicians Program and was a teaching artist with Stories & Strings at Knox Elementary School, where she worked under the mentorship of Volkan Can Canbolat.
Ms. Drake recently completed a Master of Musical Arts at Yale University in 2024, where she studied with Ettore Causa. She previously earned both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Colburn Conservatory, studying with Paul Coletti, Yura Lee, and Ben Ullery. Her early training was guided by Joan Stewart and John T. Posadas, whose mentorship during high school laid the foundation for her artistic development. During her studies, she also received significant mentorship from Robert Lipsett and Arnold Steinhardt.
Ms. Drake performs on a Adolphus Mönnig viola, crafted in 1872, generously on loan from Bernard Friedland.
Classical repertoire on modern instruments. She is also a founding member of the Alameda Quartet, which has appeared at the Library of Congress, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy (2022), and the Reno Music Festival (2022). During high school, Ms. Drake co-founded the Anderson String Quartet, which launched a mentorship initiative through the Naples Youth Symphonia to help young musicians learn to rehearse and perform in a chamber setting. The ensemble was coached by Gregg Anderson and John T. Posadas, competed in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and continues to reunite and perform together.
With Bernard Friedland
The Zota String Quartet at the Perlman Program Suncoast in Sarasota
Alameda Quartet at the Reno Chamber Music Festival