Padua Canty

Padua Canty brings her love of music, enthusiasm for teaching, and strong conservatory background to every lesson. Padua recently returned to her native Pacific Northwest Roots from Texas with the pursuit of building a strong, curious, and dedicated community of students in the Tacoma and Olympia areas. She currently directs a thriving violin & viola studio and is a viola coach for Tacoma Youth Symphony Orchestras.

In addition to teaching, Padua continues to practice her passion of performance as section violist with Northwest Sinfonietta. Padua may also be seen performing with other, local orchestras including Seattle Symphony, Symphony Tacoma, Auburn Symphony, Yakima Symphony, and more. During her summers, when not teaching or participating in Suzuki Workshops and Institutes, she performs chamber music as part of the resident Silver Bay Quartet at the Silver Bay YMCA of the Adirondacks.

Padua Canty began studying the violin at the Suzuki Institute of Seattle when she was 4 years old. At the age of 13, she found a joy for viola through Seattle Youth Symphony and began to pursue both instruments. Padua graduated from The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, completing her Master of Music degree as Teaching Assistant to Professor Ivo-Jan van der Werff. While at Rice University, Ms. Canty served as coordinator and performer for the Shepherd School of Music 20/21 Contemporary Ensemble and Just for U Music Program (JUMP!), an outreach concert series that serves underprivileged students in the Houston area. She earned her Bachelors of Music, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University studying with Nancy Buck. Ms. Canty received full scholarships through her studies, receiving the Shepherd School of Music Dorothy Lottman Williams Endowed Memorial Scholarship and the Arizona State University Special Talent Award

Padua attended many prestigious summer festivals during her studies including Tanglewood Music Center, International Festival Institute at Round Top, Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory, ARIA International Summer Academy, and Musikalische Sommerkurse Leutkirch. Her orchestral experience has awarded her the opportunity to work under world renowned conductors including Christoph Eschenbach, Kurt Masur, Jaap van Zweden, Larry Rachleff, and Christoph Campestrini. An avid chamber musician, Padua has worked and performed with members of The Julliard String Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, Brentano String Quartet, Saint Lawrence String Quartet, Medici String Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, and Concord String Quartet.