Violist Alaina Rea joined the viola section of the Baltimore Symphony in September of 2023. Prior to joining the BSO, she was the Assistant Principal Viola of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.

Alaina holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory. Her teachers have included Victoria Chiang, Choong-Jin Chang, Heidi Castleman, Steven Tenenbom, Li-Kuo Chang, and Desiree Ruhstrat.

Alaina has performed as an orchestral fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and Aspen Music Festival, and as a substitute with the Cincinnati Symphony and New World Symphony. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated in recitals with Vadim Gluzman and Robert McDuffie.

Originally from Chicago, Alaina began her musical studies on violin in the Suzuki method and later transitioned to viola. She was a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra for ten years, performing as a violinist and later as principal violist. In 2014, her string quartet was awarded first prize in the St. Paul String Quartet Competition.