A founding member of the Catalyst Quartet, Karla Donehew Pérez maintains a busy performance schedule throughout the United States and around the world. Born in Puerto Rico, Donehew Pérez began playing the violin at age three and made her solo debut with the Puerto Rico Symphony at 9 years old. At age 12, her family moved to California where she continued her studies with Anne Crowden, director and founder of The Crowden School.
Donehew Pérez completed her bachelors and masters degrees at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying performance with the heralded violin teachers Paul Kantor, David Cerone, and William Preucil. She has performed as featured soloist with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Bogota Philaharmonic, Berkeley Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Oakland East Bay Symphony, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Sphinx Virtuosi, and the New World Symphony among others. As a chamber musician, she has performed with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and collaborated with artists such as Joshua Bell, Zuill Bailey, Itzak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Awadagin Pratt, Anthony McGill, Stewart Goodyear, Fredericka Von Stade, Garry Karr, and members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, and Takács quartets among others. Donehew Pérez has been guest concertmaster at the Tucson Symphony, ABT Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra and spent two years as a fellow at the New World Symphony, where she was often concertmaster or principal second violin.
Donehew Pérez performs on a violin made in 2013 by renowned German luthier Stefan Peter Greiner, supported in part by a Sphinx MPower Artist Grant, and a fine violin bow by Victor Fetique on generous loan from the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation.
Teaching Philosophy:
I was very fortunate to have incredibly dedicated mentors through-out my training and it is my wish to have the same effect on my own students. I have come to realize that a career in music is much more than playing, so in addition to creating a supportive environment, I would also guide my students through the entrepreneurial aspects of our industry and help them find their strengths in the music world both musically and professionally.