Progressions Viola Instructor Felipe Rocha Luiz Vianna was born in Vassouras/RJ – Brazil, and began his music studies at Programa de Integração pela Música, a social project based on El-Sistema Music Education, where he studied violin with Daniel Andrade, and participated actively in Suzuki masterclasses with Suray Soren Doyle and Paulo Bosisio. After migrating to viola, Felipe pursued his studies at Federal University of Pernambuco, where he played actively as principal and section viola at UFPE Symphony Orchestra and “Sonoro Ofício,” a historically informed chamber orchestra, from 2010 to 2016.

He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in viola performance from Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE) and a Master of Music degree in Viola Performance from Louisiana State University (LSU) where he received the Graduate School Tuition Award in 2017. He has studied viola with Dr. Savio Santoro (UFPE), Dr. Elias Goldstein (LSU) and Paul Cortese.

Felipe was a finalist at Paulo Bosisio National String Competition in Juiz de Fora/ MG – Brazil (adult division) in 2013. He was Co-principal Violist at Orquestra Sinfônica da Paraíba, in João Pessoa/PB – Brazil, during the 2015 season.

He has participated in festivals in Brazil, US, and Italy, under the tutelage of many great violists, such as Emmerson diBiaggi, Leonardo Piermartini, Carlos Aleixo, Marcelo Jaffé, Alexandre Razera, Gabriel Marin, Nobuko Imai, Bruno Giuranna, Carol Rodland, Michelle LaCourse, Phillip Ying, Paul Newbauer, Raimi Solomonov, Karen Dreyfous, Susan Dubois, Wenting Kang, Hella Frank, Daphne Gerling and Glêsse Collet.

Felipe is currently a member of the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, teacher at Sonnenberg School, and former faculty member at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. In addition, he was a violin and viola teacher at Kid’s Orchestra in Baton Rouge from 2019-20.