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.