Carissa Devenport

Biography

Carissa is pursuing her undergraduate degree at Utah State University, focusing on Violin Performance under the mentorship of Rebecca McFaul and the Fry Street Quartet. She will graduate with her Bachelor of Music in the spring of 2025 with an additional emphasis on Pre-Medical. Throughout her studies at USU, she won the 2023 Utah ASTA Chamber Music Competition and the USU 2024 Concerto Competition, performing the Korngold Violin Concerto with the USU orchestra. She currently holds the position of first violinist of the College of Arts and Sciences' Caine String Quartet and as Concertmaster of the USU Symphony Orchestra, having previously served as second violinist in the Caine String Quartet and held various leadership roles within the USU Symphony Orchestra. Notably, Carissa has enhanced her musical skills by participating in the Round Top Festival Institute as a member of the Texas Festival Orchestra, working under prominent conductors such as Robert Spano, Benjamin Zander, Delayna Lazarova, Jeffrey Meyers, and Charles Olivieri-Munroe. She also took part in the Prague Summer Nights Festival in the Czech Republic, engaging in an immersive summer intensive program guided by distinguished guest artists, including David Kim, Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra; James Burton, Choral Director and Conductor of the Boston Symphony; and Tamas Varga, Principal Cellist of the Vienna Philharmonic. Additionally, she has collaborated with critically acclaimed composer Gabriela Lena-Frank and Stephen Mitton, premiering Mitton’s "Juvenoia" for String Quartet as part of The 2023 Crossing Borders Project. After completing her Bachelor's degree, Carissa plans to pursue a Master's in violin performance, and is also considering a future path in medicine.