About.
Rhode Island-based Violist/Violinist Liam DeRosa, age 18, has performed in a variety of musical settings nationally and internationally, most notably in chamber and orchestral ensembles. He is currently a senior at Cranston High School East, where he is concertmaster of the Orchestra, is on the Executive Board of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, and participates in Theatre, Italian, the Gender-Sexuality Alliance, and the Student Leadership Team. Liam currently studies viola under Michelle LaCourse, String Department Chair of the Boston University School of Music, and violin with Laura Gulley at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School. He is currently Co-Principal Viola of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Alexey Shabalin, participates in the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School’s Chamber Music Program, and is an avid volunteer and freelance musician in the Southern New England area. Liam was Co-Assistant Principal viola of the 2024 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), as part of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. With NYO-USA, under the direction of Marin Alsop, he made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 17, and his international debut at the age of 18 on a South American tour, where he performed in Uruguay at Montevideo’s Auditorio Nacional de Sodre, in Argentina at Buenos Aires’ Teatro Colón, and in Brazil at Rio de Janeiro’s Teatro Municipal and Sala São Paulo. Liam also served as Principal Viola of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Young Artists Orchestra in the summer of 2023, under the direction of Celia Llacer, and was Assistant Principal Viola of the 2022 BUTI Young Artists Orchestra under Mei-Ann Chen. A devoted veteran of BUTI, he also participated in BUTI’s String Quartet Workshop in the summers of 2023 and 2024. Liam has performed in solo masterclasses for Boston Symphony Orchestra principal violist Steven Ansell, and Paul Laraia of the Catalyst Quartet. His chamber music coaches and guest mentors have included Lois Finkel, Yefim Bronfman, Sergey Antonov, Patrice Jackson, Hyun Min Lee, Peter Zazofsky, Steven Ansell, and the Arneis Quartet. Liam’s awards and honors include being selected as a recipient of the 2024 Anthony Quinn Foundation Scholarship, First Prize in Music on the Hill’s Inaugural Scholarship Competition, Winner of the 2022/23 Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School’s Concerto Competition, performing with the 2022 NAfME All-National Honor Symphonic Orchestra, and Merit Prize Winner in the 2023 National YoungArts Competition. He was featured in the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School’s Gala Fund video, “Beautiful Imperfection.” Liam hopes to pursue a viola performance major at a conservatory after high school, and is currently in the process of auditioning and applying for music schools.
