Strings

Candice Amato

Assistant Principal Viola

Originally from North Potomac, Maryland, Candice moved to Tucson in 2014 to join the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. She was appointed Assistant Principal Viola as of the 2023–2024 season.

In addition to her work with the TSO, Candice is dedicated to exploring creative ways to connect with people through classical music. She is the Artistic Director of the Tucson Chapter of “If Music Be the Food,” a concert series that raises support for people facing food insecurity in communities around the country. She has also participated in many local musical endeavors that engage with audiences in new and non-traditional ways, including Chamberhood, a recital series presented by Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, and Nogales Barocco, an early music ensemble based in the border town of Nogales, Arizona. She has also served on the faculty of the University of Arizona’s Fred Fox School of Music, where she taught a full studio of undergraduate and graduate viola students, as well as chamber music and orchestral repertoire courses.

Candice received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, which she attended with a full scholarship. She is grateful for the guidance of her teachers: John Graham, Carol Rodland, Victoria Chiang, and Li-Kuo Chang. Summer festivals include the Aspen Music Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Britten-Pears Programme, National Orchestral Institute, Manchester Music Festival, and Castleton Opera Festival. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing yoga, volunteering at the Tucson Wildlife Center, and spending time with her husband and their two cats.