Dr. Kathryn Steely

Professor of Viola

Viola

Dr. Kathryn Schmidt Steely is Professor of Viola in the School of Music at Baylor University. She is an avid chamber musician and collaborates frequently with colleagues as a member of the Brazos Ensemble, Baylor University’s Inlumio String Quartet, and as a founding faculty member of the Credo Chamber Music summer festival. Invitations include performances at International Viola Congresses, American Viola Society Festivals, College Music Society Conferences, the Mostly Music series of the University of Chicago, and the Armonico Chamber series of the Austin Chamber Ensemble. Fanfare reviewed her 2010 release of the Flackton Viola Sonatas on MSR Classics as “a delight”. She has been honored to serve on several occasions as a jury panelist for the Primrose International Viola Competition.

Also an experienced orchestral violist, Dr. Steely formerly held a core position with Florida’s Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Fort Worth Symphony, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Fort Worth-Dallas Ballet, Akron Symphony, Ohio Chamber Orchestra, Wichita Symphony, and as principal violist with the Rockford (IL) and Waco (TX) Symphonies. She performs regularly with Philharmonie Austin, a period instrument ensemble. 

Dr. Steely is an enthusiastic mentor for students and is committed to the art of teaching. She received Baylor’s Outstanding Tenured Professor Award for Teaching in 2007, has served in two guest teaching residencies at the Oberlin College Conservatory, has been a featured presenter at several American String Teachers Association national conventions and has presented master classes across the country. She has also served as President of the American Viola Society, Editor of the Journal of the American Viola Society, and received the AVS Maurice Riley Award in 2006, the AVS Founder’s Award in 2010, and the AVS Distinguished Service Citation in 2018. Dr. Steely holds degrees from Bethel College, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Northwestern University.