Shawna Trost, Violin

Professional Bio

Violinist Shawna Trost completed her Bachelor's of Music at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, under the tutelage of Sylvia Rosenberg and Charles Castleman. She then moved to Boston, where she would attend the Longy School of Music and study with esteemed violinist Joseph Silverstein. Ms. Trost earned a Master of Music Degree with Performance Honors while attending Carnegie Mellon University. While there, she studied under Pittsburgh Symphony Concertmaster Andrés Cárdenes and won first place in the prestigious Silberman Chamber Music Competition. She then became a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Florida, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas, where she would have the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall.  

Ms. Trost joined the Sarasota Orchestra in 2004, and has performed with a number of other orchestras in recent years including Sarasota Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Dutch International Orchestra, Heidelberg Castle Festival Orchestra, Utah Festival Opera, Spoleto Festival USA and the National Repertory Orchestra, where she was a featured soloist. In addition to her European ensemble performances, an orchestra tour of China in 2007 included concerts in Shanghai and Beijing. Ms. Trost also actively records and performs at a number of celebrity functions in South Florida.

Personal Bio

What is your proudest musical moment / accomplishment?
My proudest musical moments are the times I’ve been a featured soloist with an orchestra. I also had an opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall, which was a wonderful experience. To perform in a place with such a rich musical history was truly memorable.  

What career would you have chosen if you weren’t a musician?
Well….I started violin at the age of five, and I could never really picture myself doing anything else. Somehow, I always knew I would become a violinist. 

Who is your favorite composer and why?
Sarasate. His pieces are flashy and fun to perform, and show off the violinist’s technique.  

Which piece of music holds the most meaning for you and why?
Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2, Second Movement. This was always my grandparents favorite piece, and number one request when I was a little girl. They could never remember how to pronounce it, so they would ask me jokingly to play the “Minnie Mouse Key” piece. 

When not rehearsing or performing, I spend my time:
with my husband and my doggy! We love to watch movies, go for walks and go camping/traveling together.  

When in the car, I listen to:
road and wind noise, some rattles and hums and a little 80s music mixed in.  

My favorite holiday tradition is:
going to my hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania to visit family at Christmastime.  

My dream is to:
travel the world. Luckily, it’s one of the great perks of being a musician!  

What I like best about the Sarasota / Manatee area:
The people. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. It makes for a wonderful community!  

People are surprised when they learn this about me:
I have a purple electric violin, and like to jam with a band!