Terri Van Valkinburgh, Viola

Assistant Principal

Hometown:  Spokane, Washington

Joined Lyric Orchestra in 1993

Education:  Rice University, The Juilliard School

• With which other orchestra do you perform?

During the summer I play with The Grant Park Orchestra at Millennium Park.  I've been playing there since around 1999.

• Why did you choose your instrument?  

A string teacher came to my 5th grade class and demonstrated the violin and the viola.  She said fewer people played the viola - I thought that was cool.

• Outside of the pit:

I like to think about all the wonderful places I should visit, all the amazing things I could be doing, all the races I should be running.  In reality I mostly just practice and scoop litter boxes.  They're a lot alike.

• Currently I’m reading:  

I couldn't stop reading The Last Policeman Trilogy by Ben Winters.  I also loved Tigerman by Nick Harkaway.  I'm in book limbo right now.