Violinist and violist Nana Gaskins Vaughn has had a varied career as a performer and educator. She spent most of her childhood and adult life in Indiana, until she moved to Maryland in 2009 for her husband's job. Nana received her bachelor's and master's degrees at Indiana University, where she studied violin with Paul Biss, viola with Atar Arad, and chamber music with the late Rostislav Dubinsky. She has had additional studies with Choong-Jin Chang, principal violist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
As a freelance musician, she is at home on all stages, large and small. She has performed with the National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Washington National Opera, Indianapolis Symphony, and many orchestras across the country. She has performed as principal viola with Postclassical Ensemble, and is currently assistant principal with Reading Symphony, and a member of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. As a soloist, she has performed with the Carmel and Richmond Symphonies in Indiana, the latter where she served as principal viola for fourteen years.
As a chamber musician, she has appeared frequently on the Washington Musica Viva chamber recital series, at UMBC where she is on faculty, and on interesting projects such as a quintet concert at the Iraqi Embassy with Grammy-nominated musician Rahim Alhaj.
She has also performed in concert in back up orchestras for the Moody Blues, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, and the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience at Capitol One Arena in Washington DC.
A passionate educator, Nana was a National Educator Grammy quarterfinalist. She teaches violin and viola, as well as String Methods at Elizabethtown College in PA. Previously, she was an Adjunct Professor and Affiliate Artist at University of Maryland Baltimore County, where she has taught Arts in Education, String Methods, Instrumental Music Methods, and supervised student teachers. She has been a youth orchestra conductor in Indiana and Maryland for twelve years, and is director for the UMBC Summer String Institute. She taught a string program for Howard County Public Schools, where she was recognized as a distinguished educator, mentored student teachers from Peabody Conservatory, and received a Howard County Gifted and Talented Educator Award. She is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator, and has served as a violin and viola coach for the Georgetown University Orchestra.
Her pre-college private violin and viola students have achieved great success, having been accepted into nationally prestigious programs such as the National Youth Orchestra 2, Interlochen Viola Institute, and Boston University Tanglewood Institute Junior Strings Intensive, as well as local programs such as Maryland All-State, Howard County GT Orchestras, Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras, and Peabody Youth Orchestras. She also helps aspiring music majors in their college music audition preparation. Her students have received scholarships to attend top music conservatories and colleges in the country.
As a music administrator and entrepreneur, she founded the Fishers (Indiana) Chamber Orchestra in 2005. A member of the executive committee of the Fishers Cultural Alliance, she was a principal participant in the development of the Town of Fishers' Master Plan for Arts and Culture. In gratitude for their contributions toward the arts, the Fishers Town Council made a proclamation of "Michael and Nana Vaughn Day" in 2009 to honor them. Nana also served as Executive Director for the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestras and oversaw its merger with the Baltimore Symphony's Education department, becoming the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras.
Nana's resume includes her complete experience.
As a freelance musician, she is at home on all stages, large and small. She has performed with the National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Washington National Opera, Indianapolis Symphony, and many orchestras across the country. She has performed as principal viola with Postclassical Ensemble, and is currently assistant principal with Reading Symphony, and a member of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. As a soloist, she has performed with the Carmel and Richmond Symphonies in Indiana, the latter where she served as principal viola for fourteen years.
As a chamber musician, she has appeared frequently on the Washington Musica Viva chamber recital series, at UMBC where she is on faculty, and on interesting projects such as a quintet concert at the Iraqi Embassy with Grammy-nominated musician Rahim Alhaj.
She has also performed in concert in back up orchestras for the Moody Blues, Aretha Franklin, Led Zeppelin, and the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience at Capitol One Arena in Washington DC.
A passionate educator, Nana was a National Educator Grammy quarterfinalist. She teaches violin and viola, as well as String Methods at Elizabethtown College in PA. Previously, she was an Adjunct Professor and Affiliate Artist at University of Maryland Baltimore County, where she has taught Arts in Education, String Methods, Instrumental Music Methods, and supervised student teachers. She has been a youth orchestra conductor in Indiana and Maryland for twelve years, and is director for the UMBC Summer String Institute. She taught a string program for Howard County Public Schools, where she was recognized as a distinguished educator, mentored student teachers from Peabody Conservatory, and received a Howard County Gifted and Talented Educator Award. She is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator, and has served as a violin and viola coach for the Georgetown University Orchestra.
Her pre-college private violin and viola students have achieved great success, having been accepted into nationally prestigious programs such as the National Youth Orchestra 2, Interlochen Viola Institute, and Boston University Tanglewood Institute Junior Strings Intensive, as well as local programs such as Maryland All-State, Howard County GT Orchestras, Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras, and Peabody Youth Orchestras. She also helps aspiring music majors in their college music audition preparation. Her students have received scholarships to attend top music conservatories and colleges in the country.
As a music administrator and entrepreneur, she founded the Fishers (Indiana) Chamber Orchestra in 2005. A member of the executive committee of the Fishers Cultural Alliance, she was a principal participant in the development of the Town of Fishers' Master Plan for Arts and Culture. In gratitude for their contributions toward the arts, the Fishers Town Council made a proclamation of "Michael and Nana Vaughn Day" in 2009 to honor them. Nana also served as Executive Director for the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestras and oversaw its merger with the Baltimore Symphony's Education department, becoming the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras.
Nana's resume includes her complete experience.