Damara Ayres Lomdaridze has been a resident of Hong Kong since 2002. She performs regularly with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. Before moving to Hong Kong, Damara was a member of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans from 1998 to 2002, serving as assistant principal viola for the 1999-2000 season.
Damara began playing the viola in her hometown of Norman, Oklahoma where she studied with Wayne Crouse. She co-founded the Norman Youth Quartet which won a special award from the city of Norman for its contributions to the cultural enrichment of the city. In 1990 she won the solo and quartet divisions in the Buttram String Awards.
Damara received music and honors scholarships from Indiana University where she studied with Alan DeVeritch, Joseph De Pasquale and Atar Arad. After receiving a Bachelors of Music in Viola Performance from Indiana, Damara continued her studies with George Papich at the University of North Texas where she received a MM in Viola Performance. As Dr. Papich's teaching fellow, she taught violin and viola and played with the Graduate String Quartet.
In 1997, Damara won the UNT Concerto Competition playing the Walton Viola Concerto and was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student Award in Instrumental Studies. Damara has participated in several music festivals including the Manchester Music Festival, the National Repertory Orchestra and the Missouri Chamber Orchestra. She has performed with the Pharos Soloists led by Levon Chilingirian in Cyprus, Prague and London.
The Music & Drama Institute, 2/F, Suite D, Tower 1, Robinson Heights, 8 Robinson Road, Mid-Levels, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2526-1499, Fax: (852) 2805-1306
