zo manfredi

Zo Manfredi currently maintains an active teaching and performing career in Northern Colorado. She has served as Visiting Instructor of Violin and Chamber Music at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, and formerly held the positions of Teaching Artist of Violin and Viola at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, Assistant Music Associate of Violin at Grinnell College, and Instructor of Violin and Viola at Richland Community College in Dallas, Texas. Locally in Colorado, Dr. Manfredi enjoys playing with the Fort Collins Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, Front Range Chamber Players, Quartet Con Brio, and a variety of chamber ensembles along the Front Range. She has also held positions within the violin sections of the Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra, the Abilene Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Des Moines Symphony.

 During the summers, Dr. Manfredi serves on the faculty of the Just Chamber Music Festival in Fort Collins, Colorado and has served on the faculties of the Red Lodge Music Festival, the David Adler Center for the Arts Chamber Music Camp and as guest artist with the Cedar Valley Chamber Music Festival.

Past orchestral experience has included positions within Plano Symphony Orchestra, San Angelo Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of San Antonio and Irving Lyric Stage, North Texas’ leading professional musical theater company. While pursuing her Bachelor of Music at the University of Puget Sound, she served as concertmaster and principal second violin of the University String and Symphony Orchestras. She received First Prize in the College Division of the ASTA Competition in Seattle, Washington, Third Prize in the College Division of the MENC Competition in Tacoma, Washington and First Runner-Up in the Senior Division of the MTNA State Competition in Great Falls, Montana. Dr. Manfredi has performed at many prestigious music festivals including Banff Music Festival, Manchester Music Festival, Musicorda, Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival and Birch Creek Music Performance Center.

Dr. Manfredi received her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas under the direction of renowned pedagogue, Julia Bushkova, where she was awarded both a Teaching Fellowship and Teaching Assistantship. Her doctoral dissertation, published in 2016, titled “Physical Problems in Vibrato Amongst First-Year College Violinists” reflects her interest and studied commitment to teaching violinists and violists of all ages, while emphasizing her higher education pedagogy.

Dr. Manfredi’s current performing groups also include her duo, the Manfredi/Gasworth Duo with violist and colleague, Michelle Gasworth. Since their debut in 2014, the Manfredi/Gasworth Duo has been giving performances predominantly in the Chicago metro-area, where they founded the David Adler Center for the Arts Chamber Music Camp along with cellist, Ross Gasworth. The camp seeks to cultivate and foster the collaborative and leadership skills necessary to perform chamber music for young students between the ages of 8 and 14 years old. In addition to these performing opportunities, students are introduced to eurhythmics and varying levels of music theory to supplement their education.

Dr. Manfredi earned her M.M. at Arizona State University and her B.M. from the University of Puget Sound. Past teachers and mentors have included Danwen Jiang, Maria Sampen, Timothy Christie, Mary LaMonaca, Nancy Critelli, and Joyce Ramee. She studied violin and viola in Vienna, Austria through the IES Music Program with Barbara Gorzynska and Matthius Maurer.

Dr. Manfredi is originally from Billings, Montana and currently resides in Loveland, Colorado with her husband Matt, their daughter Louisa, and their son Jack. In addition to teaching and making music, she enjoys spending time outdoors and in the mountains with friends and family hiking, biking and running.