Exclusive Q & A with GFS Principal Viola, Brittany Zellman
Brittany Zellman, Bio:
Brittany is a New York-based violist who earned her Doctorate in Musical Performance from Stony Brook University under the tutelage of Daniel Panner and Nicholas Cords. She started her career in NYC and has since built a robust freelance career throughout the Tri-State area. Brittany has traveled the world with various orchestras and has maintained a consistent local orchestral presence since moving to the Capital Region in 2021. She finds herself most at home in mixed-media and contemporary performance settings where the boundaries between art and technology can be explored and the limitations of interdisciplinary collaboration can be challenged.
In 2017, Brittany decided to pursue a second career in software engineering. This allowed her to prioritize stability while also providing the flexibility to continue her freelance career as a professional violist in a more refined context. She now focuses solely on orchestral and chamber playing, and works full-time as a Software Engineer at Oracle.
GFS: When did you first start playing your musical instrument?
BZ: I switched to viola halfway through my master’s degree (MM in violin performance).
A beloved professor of mine, Marcy Rosen, asked if I would pick up the viola to help out
a quartet that was performing recent works by some fellow composition students. I
reluctantly said yes because I was offered a beautiful viola to learn on. I’ve never
looked back and have no desire to return to my violin roots!
GFS: Who was most influential in shaping your talent and inspiring your passion
for music and your instrument?
BZ: My very first violin teacher, Linda Sinanian, was my biggest musical influence. She
sparked a love and respect for the violin that has stuck with me throughout my
life/career. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without her guidance.
GFS: What stories come to mind that led to your choice to make music a focus in
your life?
BZ: I’m not sure I have any stories because becoming a musician and having music as
an integral part of my life didn’t feel like a choice. It’s just who I am.
GFS: What are your routines leading up to a concert performance? How do you
prepare for concert rehearsals?
BZ: Preparing for rehearsals is the easier, yet more time-consuming effort. I do my best
to learn the part both technically and within the context of the rest of the
orchestration. It’s incredibly important in orchestral and chamber settings to know
what is going on around you and not to get too focused on your individual notes. No
matter what instrument you are playing or how prevalent you think your part is, you
are always just one piece of a whole. Preparing for concerts is tricky! The stakes are
much higher, and there is less room for error, so I try to believe in all the work I
did preparing for the rehearsals and just try to enjoy myself.
GFS: Tell us about what you most love to do outside of your career as a musician?
BZ: Outside of being a musician, I am a full-time Software Engineer, mom to a spicy
toddler, and wife to an incredibly loving and supportive husband. If I find myself
with any free time beyond that, I’ll spend it reading, doing yoga, or climbing.
GFS: What are you most looking forward to in the Glens Falls Symphony 2025-26
Season?
BZ: I’ve been playing with the GFSO for many years now as a section viola, so I am
most looking forward to my new role as the section’s principal and the new
challenges that will bring.
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