Amanda Gates, Music Director

Conductor, violinist, arranger/composer, teacher and administrator Amanda Gates joined the Virginia Symphony in 1996, and served as Assistant Concertmaster from 2002-2022. She was awarded a first violin position with the Chautauqua Symphony in 2001, for which she was recently appointed Orchestra Manager, and has frequently performed as a substitute violinist with the Pittsburgh Symphony. A native of Reston, Virginia, she graduated summa cum laude from The Catholic University of America, where she studied with Robert Gerle. As a violinist, she has appeared as soloist with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Catholic University Orchestra, and the Chautauqua Symphony Chamber Players.

Ms. Gates served as Executive Director of the Bay Youth Orchestras of Virginia from 2013-2017, after previously serving on the board of directors of both this organization and the Virginia Symphony. She has also taught over 50 private violin and viola students, coached multiple youth ensembles, and served on the artistic advisory and negotiations committees, several times as Chair, in both the Virginia and Chautauqua symphonies.

In 2020 she joined the Governor’s School for the Arts as Chair of the Instrumental Music department, where she directs the GSA Symphony Orchestra, develops and implements the pre-conservatory curriculum, and supervises the 80 Instrumental Music students and 30 faculty members. There, she has conducted multiple full symphonic programs and GSA’s 2024 opera production of Hansel & Gretel. She has studied conducting with Helen Martell and is currently a student of Dr. Paul Kim at Old Dominion University, from which she is expected to graduate with a Masters of Music Education in Orchestral Conducting in December, 2024.

A versatile musician, Ms. Gates is proficient on many instruments and well versed in many styles. She was commissioned to compose, arrange, perform and direct string arrangements for punk band Emberghost's album, "Not Long for this Earth," released in 2012. She also composed original music for Royal Family’s off-Broadway production of “Anne of Green Gables,” which was performed with original choreography by Lorna Ventura.

Ms. Gates performs on a violin by Pietro Giacomo Rogeri, and a six-string fretted electric violin, "Viper" model, by Mark Wood. She enjoys listening to music of all genres, studying languages, reading, running, hiking, cooking, and spending time with family.