A Musical Journey: Reflecting on My Remarkable 2023 Performances As the curtains fell on 2023, I find myself pausing to reflect on what can only be described as a whirlwind of musical adventures. From New Paradigm Theater to Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, West Hartford Theatre, Madison Lyric Stage, Norwalk Symphony, and finally, the enchanting world of Musicals at Richter, each performance was a chapter in a story that unfolded with passion, precision, and a whole lot of heart. New Paradigm Theater & Norwalk Symphony's "Carousel" Opening the curtains on 2023, my musical journey em ..read more

Now through August 21st, 3 weekends filled with fun and laughter! The Full Monty is about a down-on-his-luck guy named Jerry who brings together a group of friends to get back in the green by baring it all. Ariana plays Pam, Jerry's no-nonsense ex-wife, who compassionately tries to help get him on the straight and narrow. Come see it now at the Little Theater of Manchester ..read more

Madison Lyric Stage is putting on an epic production of Stephen Schwartz' Pippin from July 21 - 31st and it is not to be missed! I play Fastrada, the villainous queen who plots to bring disaster for Pippin. We've been selling out, so get your tickets for our final weekend today at madisonlyricstage.org Take a look at this phenomenal photos by Sue Takes Photos ..read more

Madison Lyric Stage is putting on an epic production of Stephen Schwartz' Pippin and it is not to be missed! I will be playing Fastrada, the crafty and cunning queen and cannot what show you what we have in store. I had the pleasure of attending the Madison Lyric Stage season opener, a double-bill, and reviewed the works for BroadwayWorld.com. There, I describe their epic new performance space: The stage is set in Madison Lyric Stage's brand new tent just behind the Deacon John Grave house. When I first heard that we'd be attending a performance in an outdoor tent on a rainy day, I expected di ..read more

I'm so pleased to announce that I have been invited to solo with Wallingford Symphony for their annual Summer Pops concert on July 10th, 2022. This is the second time I've been lucky enough to sing with WSO and I am over the moon. I'll be singing You'll Never Walk Alone from Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel as well as patriotic favorites like The Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, God Bless America, for Independence Day. Edit: Thank you to the WSO for having me! It was a pleasure and honor. Below is one of the fabulous photographs from my performance ..read more

The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra's 75th Annual Gala was an absolute success! I performed Broadway hits with the symphony, as the featured vocalist, and I'm still on cloud 9 from the experience! It's truly mind-blowing: For years, I was deathly afraid of public-speaking, hid from the spotlight, and only shared my voice with a very select few (and rarely). Now, I'm living it up on stage and having a blast. My dear friend and fantastically talented photographer, Suxiao Yang, documented the evening. Check it out ..read more

I am so thrilled to announce that I will be the featured vocal soloist at Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra's 75th Annual Gala on April 9th, 2022! I will be singing some of my favorite songs from musicals and accompanied by the symphony. It's an incredible opportunity and I'm so grateful to Maestro Toshi Shimada for the invitation. I have been performing in the violin section for many years and cannot believe I'm getting the chance to sing with this wonderful group of phenomenal musicians. Here's the Scoop On Saturday, April 9, the ECSO will celebrate its 75th anniversary season with a fe ..read more

I am a classically-trained professional violinist whose heart truly belongs to Broadway. For over a decade, I’ve performed on stage with symphonies and operas, but you know what thrills me more than Mahler and Puccini? Being in the pit of a musical! Better yet, being in a musical! Sadly, pit positions are few and far between (for violinists, especially) and I had no faith in my singing abilities, so I shelved that idea and kept my sights on Stravinsky, not Sondheim. At least, that was the case until the pandemic came. When theaters closed and orchestras shut down, I realized that my life’s pa ..read more

A special guest blog post by Aleah Fitzwater of https://aleahfitzwater.com/ If you’re a music educator like me, then you have a whole new definition for the word ‘busy’. Since the pandemic, we educators have found ourselves with even less time on our hands, with some of us being moved to ‘art on a cart’ (er, music on a cart). Some of us also find ourselves juggling both Zoom and in-person classes, often at the same time. The word overwhelming is a gross understatement. So, in this article, I’ll introduce some of the tools that I have found indispensable when it comes to saving time, in my expe ..read more

This article is a special summary for the American Federation of Musicians monthly newletter, "UpBeat". For full video tutorials, pictures, and more information, visit my blog series at www.CTViolin.com. It’s been a year since the world turned upside down. Fortunately, music teachers around the world have come together to support one another in this new era of online teaching. I’ve made a short series of blog posts to make virtual teaching a bit more friendly and fun. The Virtual Whiteboard One of my favorite tricks is using the Zoom virtual whiteboard. In the past, I would draw on my studio w ..read more