Rachael Keplin Gladen, viola

• School: Wake Forest University / University of North Carolina Greensboro / The Music Academy of North Carolina
• Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

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Rachael Keplin Gladen is a versatile violist, string educator, and free improviser. She is the Associate Principal for the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra and regularly performs with the North Carolina Opera and North Charleston Pops. She is a dedicated chamber musician and is founding member of contemporary ensembles Chamber Brews and Sounding Board. As a committed advocate for new music and non-classical genres, she has performed on numerous high-profile stages with notable artists like Helen Sung, Michael Bublé and Josh Groban.

Rachael is passionate about creating her own music through free improvisation on her Boss RC-600 loop station. She enjoys performing solo looper shows throughout North Carolina and recently won the ACGC Artist grant to support the production of her debut album. She often integrates teaching free improvisation in both group and studio settings and has presented her dissertation research, "Mindfulness and Free Improvisation," at national conferences.

Rachael received her Doctor of Musical Arts in viola performance from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, a Master's degree from The Ohio State University, and a Bachelor's degree from Kennesaw State University. She is currently on the faculty at Wake Forest University, University of North Carolina Greensboro, and The Music Academy of North Carolina.