SYDNEY WHIPPLE, Native of Oakland, California, began violin lessons at age 5 and switched to the viola when she was 10. She made her orchestral debut at 17, performing the Walton Viola Concerto with the Yuba Sutter Symphony, and has since appeared as a soloist with Eleva Chamber Players, and the Baden-Baden Philharmonic. Sydney is currently a student of Carol Rodland at The Juilliard School, where she is a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship.

Sydney spent her freshman year at Interlochen Arts Academy as a student of Renée Skerik, and the rest of her high school years studying with Dimitri Murrath at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College Program. While there she served as President of the Conservatory’s Pre-College Student Council and was selected as speaker for the 2020 commencement ceremony. 

Sydney has a passion for chamber music and has taken part in chamber and solo music programs, including Bowdoin International Music Festival, The Perlman Music Program, Music@Menlo, and Carl Flesch Academy. In addition, she has enjoyed masterclasses with Kim Kashkashian, Thomas Riebl, Ori Kam, and Diemut Poppen. Sydney also has an interest in showing how music cultivates empathy.