Primary Suzuki teacher: Lucille Rouse (Peabody Prep)
A native of Maryland, Burchard Tang began his musical studies on violin at the age of 3. He started with the Suzuki method at Peabody Prep in Baltimore with Lucille Rouse. At the age of 16 he switched to viola. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in May 1999 from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Joseph dePasquale, retired Philadelphia Orchestra principal viola, and Choong-Jin Chang, the Orchestra’s current principal viola. Mr. Tang has served as principal viola with the Curtis Symphony and the New York String Seminar, and he has performed with the Brandenburg Ensemble. He joined the Philadelphia Orchestra in September of 1999.
A 1993 winner of the Philadelphia Orchestra Albert M. Greenfield Student Competition, Mr. Tang performed with the Orchestra as a soloist in a Student Concert in November 1993. Other honors include the Temple University Preparatory Division Concerto Competition and second prize in the Senior Division of the Fischoff Competition in 1996.