Kearston Gonzales, violin

Meet Kearston

Kearston performs on Show 412.

Kearston Gonzales (violin), 17, hails from Hampton, Virginia and studies violin at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege with Dr. Chloé Kiffer. She began violin at the age of three, making her orchestral debut at nine with the Georgia Philharmonic. After receiving first prize at the Rondo Vanguard Competition, Kearston performed at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall. Kearston has had the opportunity to solo with orchestras in Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Georgia. She has attended the Heifetz International Summer Music Institute, Center Stage Strings, and MusicAlp in France. She has performed in solo masterclasses given by Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Tianwa Yang, Tessa Lark, Grigory Kalinovsky, and Bella Hristova. In January 2022, Kearston soloed with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in both their youth series and annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In her spare time, Kearston enjoys reading, studying French and Latin, running, and baking.