In this episode, Craig Mumm, associate principal viola of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, shares stories of his career at the MET. Coming from a musical family, he tells us of his exciting journey to the MET and how his family influenced his path as a musician. Hear stories of incredible singers, and breathless moments from his favorite times in the orchestra.
Craig Mumm grew up in Milwaukee where he studied violin with his father, Edward Mumm, Concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. In college, Craig studied violin and viola with Shmuel Ashkenasi, first violinist of the Vermeer String Quartet. Before joining the MET, Mumm performed in orchestras in Chicago and Germany.
Mr. Mumm is a member of the faculty of the Orchestral Performance Program at Manhattan School of Music and of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He has also served on the faculty of the Juilliard School in the Music Advancement Program. Mr. Mumm is a frequent coach and audition adjudicator for the MSM orchestras as well as for the New York Youth Symphony, the New Jersey Youth Symphony, and the InterSchool Orchestras of New York, where he serves on the advisory council.
Internationally known for his passion and advocacy of youth music programs, Mr. Mumm is a faculty member of YOA Orchestra of the Americas, participating in YOA’s residencies and tours; FEMUSC (Festival de Música de Santa Catarina) in Brazil; and the chamber music festival FIMCE (Festival Internacional de Música de Cámara del Elqui) in La Serena, Chile. Other recent engagements include residencies at the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras, “El Sistema,” in Caracas, Venezuela; Esperanza Azteca Puebla, Mexico; Filarmónica Joven de Colombia; the Alfredo de Saint-Malo Music Festival of Panamá (ASM); SINEM, Orquesta Sinfónica de Liberia, Costa Rica; and the Krzysztof Penderecki European Centre for Music in Poland
Mr. Mumm is on the board of directors of the nonprofit humanitarian organization Music for Life International, whose mission is to create transformative social impact through music for the most vulnerable of our fellow human beings. In addition to performing in their yearly benefit concerts at Carnegie Hall, Mr. Mumm brought music directly to the children of Syria, performing and teaching at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan.
This is a small excerpt of the Kleiber Rosenkavalier that Craig spoke so lovingly about.
Kurt Moll as Hunding, which Craig mentions as a powerful voice in his MET history.
This is the soprano, Lise Davidson, who Craig mentions as a bright new star!