Ames Asbell, President
Violist Ames Asbell has performed classical, tango, and popular music on six continents in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to rock clubs. Significant recent performances include International Viola Congresses in Thailand, New Zealand, Poland, and the US, and recitals in Mexico, South Africa Australia, and Japan. She has recorded for Nonesuch, Harmonia Mundi, Naxos, Sony, and more, including eight appearances on PBS staple Austin City Limits. Ames is currently violist of the Tosca String Quartet, Principal Violist of Austin Opera and a member of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and she performs regularly with Arizona Musicfest, Victoria Bach Festival, and acclaimed choral group, Conspirare. Ames is currently Associate Professor of Viola at Texas State University, where she founded the Texas State String Project in 2010 and serves as its Director. She has served on the board of the American Viola Society since 2016, and coordinated the 2021 AVS Festival. She will serve the AVS as President through June 2026.