Viola

Simon Ertz is Principal Viola of the Winston Salem Symphony and the North Carolina Opera Orchestra. He plays as a regular substitute in both the Charlotte and North Carolina Symphonies. He has appeared as soloist with the Winston Salem Symphony and regularly performs on the Greensboro Symphony Chamber Music Series. After graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music, Simon worked with orchestras across the UK, including the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Northern Chamber Orchestra. As a member of the Degas Quartet from 2002 until 2010, Simon has performed in venues across the country including appearing as guest artists at the Aspen Music Festival, the Chicago Chamber Music Society and at the Library of Congress where he performed on the Tuscan Medici Stradivarius. Since moving to North Carolina, Simon completed a Doctoral of Musical Arts at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro and now teaches at UNC in Chapel Hill. He plays a viola made by his brother, Neil Ertz.