Dr. Stephanie Mientka

Ms. Mientka began studying music at age 5 with lessons on piano and violin, and started viola at age 13. Both of her parents were touring classical artists, and she spent much of her youth on tour with her family. From a young age Ms. Mientka was an active performer, and in 2006 won first prize in theSymphony of the Valley Concerto Competition in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. In the same year she won first prize in the Rocky Ridge Music Center Concerto Competition. She performed concertos in Aspen, Glenwood Springs, and Estes Park, Colorado.
Ms. Mientka holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder,and a master’s degree from Rice University in Houston, TX. She was also awarded full merit scholarships for both degrees. Her principal viola teachers are Erika Eckert, Geraldine Walther, and Ivo-Jan van der Werff. As an active orchestral musician, Ms. Mientka isa member of the Boulder Philharmonic, and held the position of associate principal viola with Colorado Springs Philharmonic during 2014 – 2015 season. She is also a regular substitute for Colorado Symphony, and has performed with Shreveport Symphony in Louisiana and Mercury Baroque orchestra in Houston. Summer festivals include Aspen Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra, Idyllwild Summer Music Festival, and several notable master-classes in Germany and Italy. Ms. Mientka is also an active chamber musician, and a founding member of the Deciduous Trio (flute,viola, harp), which performs regularly in Texas and Colorado. In 2006 she became a member of the crossover Celtic band FEAST. Besides numerous concerts in Colorado,the band has twice toured Germany and the USA. PBS filmed two of the band’s spectacular Irish shows, and the resulting films have been broadcast on television and submitted for both an Emmy and a Grammy. Ms. Mientka is currently co-artistic director of the Western Slope Concert Series in Grand Junction, which she operates with her mother, Kathryn Mientka.