Bella Markham violin/viola |
Violist, Composer, D.J., and Teacher, Isabella (Bella) Monet Markham currently resides in Dallas, Texas. In 2000, Bella began her musical studies at the age of 5 with Nicolette Solomon in Dallas, Texas, at the Suzuki Music Institute of Dallas. In 2009, Bella was a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, and as a result, she performed on the acclaimed "From the Top" radio show with host Christopher O’Riley at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Texas. Following that performance, Bella became a member of the prestigious Perlman Music Program for the next 5 years under the direction of Toby and Itzhak Perlman. She attended the Summer Music School, the Winter Residency in Sarasota, Florida, and the Chamber Music Workshop on Shelter Island, New York. Bella has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; Lyon, France; Durango, Colorado; and Palm Beach, Florida. She was a semifinalist in the Johansen International competition and was the recipient of the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship Award at The Julliard School in New York City.
In 2017, Bella received her BM from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Heidi Castleman and Misha Amory. She has attended the National Arts Centre Summer Music Institute in Ottawa, Canada, where she studied with Pinchas Zukerman, and she has been an active participant in solo and chamber music master classes with Roger Tapping, Alessio Bax, Helen Callus, and Jeffrey Irvine. Bella has worked in the public school system teaching private viola and violin lessons, orchestra sectionals and general music education classes. She has performed as a violist in local chamber music ensembles and collaboratives throughout the DFW Metroplex. Bella completed ECC and Suzuki teacher training for violin/viola with Charles Krigbaum in Dallas, Texas. Bella's deep knowledge of and interest in all genres of music, film, art, and culture have greatly influenced her artistic approach to music-making and her leadership within the arts. As a violist of the 21st century, she’s open to new styles of music and loves incorporating her classical training into electronic compositions. She strongly believes it’s important to be well-rounded and explore all genres of music as a developing musician. Along with the viola, she is passionate about composing electronic music under the name Elektra Monet, accomplishing to date the album release of Black Opal under the record label Somewhere Cold Records and two full length releases titled Angels of Sweat and Sunday with Memory Girl which are both available on iTunes, Spotify, and Bandcamp. Bella loves the viola, curry, her family, and her cat Morrissey. |