About

Wesley Catherine Hamilton is a violist, violinist, educator, and music theorist based in Baltimore, Maryland. Wesley is pursuing a Master's degree in Viola Performance and Pedagogy at Peabody Conservatory in Johns Hopkins University.  She  graduated with the class of 2020 from the University of Georgia with two undergraduate degrees in Music Performance and Music Theory, Summa Cum Laude. Her primary teachers are Professor Victoria Chiang, Professor Maggie Snyder and Dr. Emily Gertsch, PhD.  

Wesley is currently teaching viola and violin lessons at Mike’s Music in Ellicott City, Maryland. At Mike's, Wesley teaches 40 violin and viola students weekly ranging from ages 4-55. At Mike's, Wesley teaches all levels of violin and viola from beginner through advanced.

Starting January of 2023, Wesley has been hired as a Strategic Advisor for the Spark Accelerator inside of Johns Hopkins University's FastFowardU. At FFU, Wesley advises a cohort of ventures in early development. Also, Wesley is a Teaching Assistant for Pitching Your Creative Idea, a business portfolio course taught at Peabody Conservatory. 

Wesley spent the 2020-2021 school year as an itinerate teacher in the Richmond County Orchestra Program. She was responsible for orchestra programs at Goshen Elementary, McBean Elementary, Hains Elementary, Pine Hill Middle, Butler High, and Cross Creek High School. That year, she taught both face-to-face and online instruction at each school in addition to her private studio. 

An avid orchestral and chamber musician, Wesley has performed as a section viola with the Augusta Symphony, Aiken Symphony, North Georgia Chamber Symphony, and has held assistant principal positions with the UGA Symphony Orchestra and UGA Opera Orchestra. In addition to her ensemble experience, Wesley has been a finalist of both the UGA Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the UGA Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition. She has participated in masterclasses with Jordan Bak, Roberto Diaz, Ivo van der Werff, Victoria Chiang, Edward Klorman, Jenny Snyder-Kozoroz, Erika Eckert, Daphne Gerling, and Hillary Herndon. 

Wesley attended the Aspen Music Festival for their 2022 summer season where she performed with the Aspen Festival Orchestra and studied with Professor Victoria Chiang. While at Aspen, Wesley taught through the AMFS P.A.L.S. program. Wesley has attended the Brevard Music Center for five summers during her high school and college careers in 2015-2017, 2019, and 2021 where she studied with Maggie Snyder and Jenny Snyder-Kozoroz. At Brevard, Wesley performed with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra and the Brevard Camerata where she has held principal positions. Additionally, she attended the Montecito International Summer Music Festival in 2018 where she studied with Yizak Schotten. 

While pursuing an education in viola performance, Wesley also studied many areas of music theory including semiotics, narrative archetype approaches, undergraduate theory pedagogy, Schenkerian analysis, serialism, small and large formal analysis, Neo-Remannian theory, and atonal techniques. 

Wesley recently worked at the UGA Performing Arts Center for the duration of her undergraduate studies as the Student House Manager. 

Wesley is mother to Zelda, her sweet and amazing cat. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, socializing with friends, walking in nature, attempting to be funny, and napping.