Lily Francis is an up-and-coming chamber musician, sought after both as a violinist and a violist. She is a member of Lincoln Center's Chamber Music Society Two, the residency program for distinguished young artists. As part of CMS Two, she regularly peforms at Lincoln Center, in the Rose Studio and Alice Tully Hall. She received her Bachelor's degree from Curtis, studying with Joseph Silverstein, and is now pursuing her Master's degree at New England Conservatory, studying violin with Miriam Fried. Her other teachers have included Teri Einfeldt, Brian Lewis, and Philip Setzer. In addition, she began viola studies in the fall of 2005, with Steven Tenenbom.
Ms. Francis made her debut with the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra, and has since soloed with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra on their Masterworks Series, the Connecticut Virtuosi, the Brockton Symphony Orchestra, and the New Britain Symphony. In addition, she has been top prizewinner in several competitions, including the Hartford Symphony Young Artist’s Concerto Competition, the Paderewski Competition, and she received the Howard Beebe String Award for Solo Bach Performance at the Corpus Christi International Competition.
Ms. Francis is the violist of the Vertigo String Quartet, which has performed throughout the Philadelphia area, and in Ischia, Italy, at the home of Lady Walton, widow of Sir William Walton. The Vertigos also traveled to Atri, Italy, where they took First Prize in Chamber Music at the 2nd Competition of the Duchi D'Acquaviva. They recorded the soundscape for Michael Hollinger's award-winning play "Opus", and received a Barrymore Award for their unique collaboration. They have appeared at Music From Angel Fire, New Mexico and have performed numerous times at BargeMusic in Brooklyn, where they will begin a year-long residency this fall.
Ms. Francis has attended several summer festivals, including Marlboro, Aspen, Greenwood, and Yellow Barn. She has been privileged to play alongside such distinguished artists as Richard Goode, Gilbert Kalish, Kim Kashkashian, Ida Kavafian, Ani Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, Mitsuko Uchida and Peter Wiley. She recently appeared on Caramoor's Rising Stars series in Katonah, Mostly Music series with Carter Brey, and with Musicians from Marlboro on their east coast tours of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and points in between. Her plans include concerts at Caramoor, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, and in Ischia and Austria.