Currently Associate Professor of Viola at Texas State University, Dr. Ames Asbell has enjoyed a varied career teaching viola and coaching chamber music for over 25 years. She has led a vibrant private studio in Austin, Texas since 1998 and has served on faculty at Texas State University since 2005. Her former students have gone on to further study at universities such as Eastman, Oberlin, Rice, Peabody and The University of North Texas, to fine arts high schools such as Interlochen Arts Academy and and Idyllwild Arts Academy and to summer festivals such as Aspen, Castleman Quartet Program, Credo, Hot Springs and Brevard.  Several are successful orchestra teachers in public and private school settings, and others have their own private studios. To date, two of  Dr. Asbell's former students have earned the top chair in TMEA All-State competition (Principal Viola of the TMEA Symphony Orchestra), and a third earned the Principal Viola chair in the TPSMEA (Texas Private School Music Educators Association) All-State Orchestra.  

Dr. Asbell founded the Texas State String Project in 2010 and served as its director for a decade, overseeing a program that grew to include 80 students and 20 student teachers each year. She has formerly taught at The University of Texas at Austin (as Teaching Assistant to Roger Myers), Austin Chamber Music Center, The University of Texas String Project and New England Music Camp. A well-known viola pedagogue, she has presented on viola pedagogy and repertoire at numerous events such as International Viola Congresses, American String Teachers Association Conferences, and American Viola Society Festivals, as well as at the Texas Music Educators and Texas Orchestra Directors annual conventions. Dr. Asbell is also thrilled to serve the national viola community as President-Elect of the American Viola Society, beginner her term in July 2020.

The Texas State Viola Studio regularly presents public concerts both on campus and beyond, and enjoys exploring the viola ensemble literature. Most recently we participated in the American Viola Society’s Youth Ensemble Invitational Competition, and were thrilled be among the collegiate ensembles invited to perform at the 2021 American Viola Society Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Texas State Viola Studio also recently launched its own blog at http://viola.wp.txstate.edu/. Check it out to see what we are up to!

To schedule a sample lesson with Dr. Asbell and learn more about viola studies at Texas State University, please contact her via email at viola@txstate.edu.