THE FIGARD SISTERS:

Kristin Figard

Kristin Figard is a graduate of Northwestern University with a double major in Viola Performance and Harpsichord Maintenance and Studies, and a Masters degree in Viola Performance.  She studied Viola with Almita and Roland Vamos and Harpsichord with Stephen Alltop.  In 2007 she was invited as one of five students to perform in the University Showcase Series at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C on the viola.  In 2006 Kristin won the Samuel and Elinor Thaviu String Scholarship Competition on the viola as well as performing Alexander Tchaikovsky’s “Distant Dreams of Childhood” for Violin and Viola with her sister Tracy on the violin at the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin.

In 2001 Kristin won the college division of the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation of Chicago in 2001, just one year after winning the high school division in 2000.  That same year she also won the college division of the Chicago Viola Society Competition and the First Prize of the Holland-America Music Society Competition.  As a result, Kristin performed on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series and the “Live from Studio One” Series both broadcast live on WFMT.  She also performed both the Karl Stamitz and J. C. Bach Viola Concertos with the Highland Park Strings and she and her sister also recorded their first CD on the Holland-America Music Society label. 

Kristin currently performs with the ArsViva Symphony Orchestra and the Lake Forest Symphony.

Tracy Figard

Tracy Figard began violin studies at the age of three, piano at age 9 and organ in August of 2003.  She has also studied harp, harpsichord and viola.  A recent graduate of Northwestern University with a double major in Violin Performance and Historic Keyboard and a minor in Philosophy, she studied violin with Almita Vamos and organ with Margaret Kemper. 

In 2006 Tracy won the Union League Civic and Arts Competition.  She also performed Alexander Tchaikovsky’s “Distant Dreams of Childhood” for Violin and Viola with her sister, Kristin, on the viola at the Peninsula Music Festival in Door County, Wisconsin..  In 2005 she was the winner of the Chicago/North Shore chapter of the American Guild of Organists competition.  In 2002 she won the James Glacking Memorial Music Competition and played the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the North Suburban Symphony in 2002.  During that year Tracy also performed, at the conductor’s invitation, Lalo’s Symphonie Espagñole with the Lake Forest Symphony.  Tracy also accompanied her sister, Kristin, for their first CD produced by the Holland-American Music Society released in 2002, as well as performing with her sister on the ‘Live from Studio One’ and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series produced by WFMT.  Tracy’s violin performance won her both an Evanston Music Club Scholarship in 2002 and the Farwell Award of the Musicians Club of Women in 2003.