Concertmaster

Julie Paradies was born into a musical family. Her first teacher was her mother, Nancy Badger, a public school music teacher who followed in the footsteps of her mother and father who both played the violin. Julie played in her public school orchestra and also took private lessons through elementary school, junior high and high school with violinist Patricia Rudoff. Julie graduated from the same college as her mother and maternal grandmother—Oberlin College—where she studied with Richard Young and Marilyn McDonald. While at Oberlin, she played the violin in the Oberlin Orchestra and the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra. She also had the privilege to play on an authentic baroque violin in Oberlin's Baroque Ensemble.

When she and her family moved to the Hudson Valley of New York State, Julie began teaching Suzuki violin at the Dutchess Community College Music School. She has taken Suzuki Teacher Training through Book 10.  She taught private lessons and led group classes, organized recitals, concerts, “play-downs,” and performances at nursing homes and assisted living homes.  She was involved with the musical education of her three children, Rebecca, Matt and Eric.

In the Hudson Valley, Julie was active in many orchestras and ensembles. She played in many musical shows at the Rhinebeck Center for the Performing Arts. And for 28 years she was a member of The Woodstock Chamber Orchestra. For 15 years she played with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, for 10 years the Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra, and for 5 years the Esopus Chamber Orchestra.  Participation in these orchestras has the benefit of performing a piece of music again, with a different perspective. Julie is thrilled to have played all nine Beethoven symphonies!

Julie's husband, Jim Paradies, plays the trumpet, and together they perform at weddings, churches, and other events as part of the ParadiesEnsemble.com.

Now, having relocated to St. Petersburg, Julie is honored to have been appointed Concertmaster of the Suncoast Symphony. She is also concertmaster of the Pinellas Park Civic Orchestra with Art Hansuld, which performs a concert each month. Julie also plays first violin in the Tampa Bay Symphony with Mark Sforzini, and the all-string ensemble Musical Chairs, which was founded by Madge Ladd.