Olev L. Viro
has been a full-time violinist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra since 1984 and is active as a violinist, conductor, teacher, and coach. Olev has been Violin Instructor on the adjunct faculty of Capital, Otterbein and Denison universities and Visiting Conductor at Denison University for the 2008-09 season.
After guest conducting and solo appearances with the Upper Arlington Community Orchestra, Mr. Viro became the Music Director of that orchestra in the Fall of 1999. In early 2008 the UACO renamed itself as the Greater Columbus Community Orchestra to better reflect it’s identity and role in the community. In 1996, UACO commissioned Francis Sibley to compose “Suite for Jazz Violin and Orchestra,” which Mr. Viro premiered. Since then the orchestra has premiered several works of Tubin and Mägi and has commissioned a number of new pieces including compositions by Ching-chu Hu, Donald Harris and others. In March of 2009 Olev led the premiere of “Pirke Avot: Sayings of the Fathers” a 14 movement jazz cantata in Hebrew and English for vocal soloists, choir, jazz trio and symphony orchestra by Mark Kross commissioned by the orchestra.
Olev is a member of the International Tubin Society and the Conductors Guild, participating in workshops with Harold Farberman and Raymond Harvey.
Mr. Viro participated in the New Hampshire Music Festival from 1978 until 2008. He was assistant conductor of the Oak Ridge Symphony and has guest-conducted the Knoxville Chamber Orchestra, Knox College Orchestra and Choir, and Syracuse University Orchestra, among other groups.He has a B.A. from Harpur College, SUNY Binghamton, and a Master of Music degree in violin from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied violin with Eric Rosenblith and conducting with Richard Pittman. He was principal second of the Knoxville Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, Concertmaster of 1983 Spoleto Opera Orchestra and a member of the Syracuse Symphony as well as member of Graduate Resident Piano Trio at Syracuse University before coming to Columbus.
Olev Viro is the creator and leader of the Sonus Artis project, giving musical programs and outreach in both Ohio and Estonia with previous support from the Ohio Arts Council. The project has collaborated with universities, churches, schools, arts organizations and other private and public institutions. Sonus Artis has helped produce varied concerts, numerous commissions, several tours and helped bring Suzuki pedagogy to Estonia as well as Estonian culture to Ohio.
Olev is also a licensed Insurance Agent in Ohio and is currently an employee of International Risk Consultants, Inc. where he brokers trade credit insurance.