Meet Our Musicians: Mary Thulson, Violin

Mary Thulson is a violinist from Alexandria, VA, praised for her sweet tone, orchestral leadership, and sensitivity as a chamber musician.

As an orchestral section leader, Ms. Thulson sits Principal Second for the Pan American Symphony and the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra. She has served recent rotations as Principal Second and Associate Concertmaster for the Mid-Atlantic Symphony and sits as Concertmaster for the orchestra of DC’s Congressional Chorus. Recent orchestral tours have included Colombia, Lebanon, and Peru, where, with the Pan American Symphony, she performed for dignitaries including the country’s president.

As a chamber musician, Ms. Thulson leads the Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra’s string quintet, performing in DC’s historic St. John’s Church, Lafayette Square. She performs with several of the DC area’s fine quartets and has led chamber programs for the McLean Orchestra and Arlington Philharmonic. Ms. Thulson has appeared on each of the Kennedy Center's stages and in Baltimore's Meyerhoff Hall.

Ms. Thulson is a dedicated teacher and coach, maintaining a private studio in Alexandria with her husband, cellist Tim Thulson. Ms. Thulson’s degree comes from Wheaton College, where she studied with Dr. Lee Joiner. As a child in Japan, she had the privilege to study under Dr. Suzuki at his summer institute. Other key teachers have included Mieke Sasaki, Sharon Polifrone, Robert DePasquale, and Ryoichi Higikata.