A native of Fayetteville, NY, Alicia Barker is a passionate performer and teacher. Alicia is a graduate from the Eastman School of Music with a degree in Violin Performance and Music Education. At Eastman, Alicia studied privately with Federico Agostini, chamber music with the Ying Quartet, and orchestral violin repertoire with Juliana Athayde. Currently, Alicia runs a full-time violin and viola studio, and is an avid freelancer. Alicia performs as a substitute violinist with a multitude of orchestras in the area, including Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, Symphony in C, Apollo Orchestra, Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, and York Symphony Orchestra among others. She also frequently performs with Symphoria, the professional orchestra of Central New York. Alicia is a member of the first violin section of the Tysons Mclean Orchestra, and was a former member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she has worked with world famous artists, such as Yo-Yo Ma, Riccardo Muti, Semyon Bychkov, and Robert Chen. She was also a violin fellow at the National Orchestral Institute, where she worked with internationally renowned faculty including William Preucil. During the summers of 2013 and 2014, Alicia performed on the music staff for guests at CAMP-of-the-WOODS, a Christian resort and conference. Previously, Alicia was the Strings Teacher at Hanover Hills and Hammond Elementary Schools, both in the Howard County Public School System. In addition, she served as a lead violin teacher for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids, where she instructed and mentored violin students in Baltimore’s inner city. Alicia is a certified public school teacher in multiple states, and is registered to teach Suzuki Book 1. A former Suzuki student herself, Alicia grew up in a musical family. Her father, John, is a professional clarinetist, and helped influence her to begin violin training at age five. Alicia and her husband Matthew Barker, fourth trumpet in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, live in Columbia, MD. She thoroughly enjoys attending BSO concerts weekly! In her free time, Alicia enjoys spending time with her husband and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Satchmo.