Stanley Konopka

Stanley Konopka, raised in Batavia, began his viola studies with Susan S. Starrett and performed with the DuPage Youth Symphony, Chicago Youth Symphony, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Konopka earned numerous early accolades, including 2nd place in the 1980 PTA National Reflections Contest, the 1982 B.M.I. Award to Student Composers, and the 1985 Young Artists Award at the Interlochen Arts Academy. He studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music under Cleveland Orchestra Principal Viola Robert Vernon, and also trained with David Holland and Milton Preves, of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Stanley was a member and performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Lorin Maazel), Principal Violist of the National Repertory Orchestra, Masterworks Festival Orchestra, and the Interlochen Arts Academy, premiering his own composition Fanfares, Prayers and Dances with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra and performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He joined the Cleveland Orchestra in 1991, becoming Assistant Principal Viola in 1993.

A dedicated chamber musician, Stanley has performed with the Myriad Ensemble, Miami String Quartet, Cleveland Orchestra Piano Trio, and at festivals throughout North America, recording for the Telarc and Azica labels. Konopka has been a faculty member in viola and chamber music at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Cleveland State University, Kent/Blossom Music Festival, Interlochen Arts Academy, New World Symphony, viola coach for The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Organization and is the Director of the Franciscan University of Steubenville Chamber Orchestra, violin and viola Instructor, and curator of its Chamber Music Concert Series. He founded the Orchestral Repertoire Class for Viola, launched Viola Master Classes, an online orchestral excerpt program attracting students worldwide, and has been guest professor at Baldwin Wallace University since 2018.

In January 2024, Konopka’s arrangement of Béla Bartók’s String Quartet No. 3 for double string orchestra was recorded by Franz Welser-Möst and The Cleveland Orchestra, receiving critical acclaim and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York. His career reflects both virtuosic performance and profound contributions to teaching and orchestral music.