Mila Crise Gallardo started her music studies in Quito-Ecuador, where she is originally from. After moving to the United States, Mila earned a Bachelor’s Degree BM in Viola Performance from Western Illinois University, and Master’s Degree MM in Viola Performance from Arizona State University. In 2012 she was a recipient of the International Viola Scholarship granted by Western Illinois University to get her undergraduate studies on a full scholarship. Ms. Gallardo later pursued her graduate studies at Arizona State University holding a Teaching Assistantship (TA) for the full period of her studies.
Among her principal teachers throughout her career include Manuel Ignacio Moreno (Ecuador), Istvan Szabo (Hungary) and Nancy Buck (United States). She has received masterclasses and participated in music festivals’ viola lessons with James Dunham, Masumi Rostad, Rudolf Haken, Andrea Kim, Alexandre Razera and Brett Deubner.
Mila is very fond of New Music and has worked closely with living composers and songwriters by performing their works at Phoenix Art Museum and ElectroAcoustic Macomb, among others. She was also a member of the President’s International String Quartet as part of her scholarship at Western Illinois University (2012-2016). As an established string quartet, they got to perform across the Midwest and earned an Honorable Mention at MTNA 2016 competition representing the state of Illinois. Ms. Gallardo has enjoyed collaborating in chamber music projects throughout her career. Among her favorite chamber music experiences includes, in 2017 Mila had the opportunity to participate in an open to public - sight reading next to St Lawrence String Quartet playing Mozart G minor Viola Quintet as part of the string quartet’s residency at Arizona State University.
She has performed in solo and chamber music recitals as well as orchestra tours in Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and the United States. Some of the orchestras that Mila has collaborated with are Philharmonic of Ecuador, West Valley Symphony, North Valley Symphony, ProMusica Arizona, Women's Orchestra of Arizona, Muscatine Symphony and Quincy Symphony. Currently Ms. Gallardo lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is always involved with music collaboration, music projects, performances and teaching in her community.
