Marié Schwalbach
violin
Marié Schwalbach, née Rossano
My name is Marié, which is pronounced “mah-ree-eh” and rhymes with “hooray”! I was born in Osaka, Japan and raised in Bellevue, Washington. When I was three, my mom took me to observe some local violin and cello students in a Suzuki group lesson, and I was inspired to play the violin. My first violin teacher, Yuko Honda, had me use a Nutter Butter box with a ruler taped to it before I
“graduated” to a 1/16 size violin. The proof that I’m still a Pacific Northwest gal at heart is that my favorite animal is the orca whale, and I prefer using a raincoat instead of an umbrella.
When I was 17, I came to Philadelphia to attend college at the Curtis Institute of Music. The East Coast was a big culture shock, but thankfully I met a trombone student who is now my husband. At Curtis, I studied with violinists Ida Kavafian and Joseph Silverstein, both incredibly inspirational to me. Among the countless eye-opening musical experiences that I was fortunate to have at Curtis, my year as Co-Concertmaster of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra was particularly life-changing, as I discovered a new love for orchestral repertoire and performance.
I joined the New York Philharmonic upon graduating from Curtis in May 2016. I will never forget my first impressions of the New York Philharmonic. I remember being blown away by the strength of the “heartbeat” throbbing within the ensemble. As I met musician after musician, I was inspired by the uniqueness, passion, and most of all, strength of character of each individual. I often sit onstage and look around wondering how I got here and how incredibly blessed I am to get to spend my days with these incredible musicians, humans, and friends that I get to call my colleagues.
When off the stage, I dedicate my time, thoughts, and energy to my family life. My husband and I have two young children, a charming three-year-old boy and a delightful one-year-old girl, who are the light and joy of our lives. I spend my own downtime “mom journaling” and making family photo albums. We enjoy our quiet life away from the busy city in beautiful Bergen County, New Jersey.
