Hristo Hristov, assistant principal viola of Mississippi Symphony Orchestra since 2004 was born in Bulgaria. He holds a bachelor’s degree in viola performance from the State Music Academy in Bulgaria. While in his native country, Hristo was assistant principal viola of the State Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra in Varna, and the New Symphony Orchestra in Sofia.
In 1994-97, he was assistant principal viola of the Teatre Liric D’Europe, which has had more than 250 performances in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal and the Netherlands. In 2005, Hristo received a master of music in viola performance from Southeastern Louisiana University. During his graduate studies, he was involved with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and worked with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and the Jefferson Performing Arts Society Orchestra. Since 2004 Hristo is a member of Missouri Symphony Society and performs as assistant principal viola with Missouri Symphony Orchestra for Summer Nights Festival-Columbia, MO.
Ausra Jasineviciute was born in Lithuania, where she began her studies at age eight. In 1997 she earned her Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from the Academy of Music in Vilnius, and two years later her Master of Social Sciences from Vilnius Pedagogical University.
In 2004 Ms. Jasineviciute earned her Master of Music in Viola Performance from Southeastern Louisiana University and in 2011 her Doctor of Music in Music Performance from Florida State University. During her graduate studies in Louisiana, she was a member of the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, and the Jefferson Performing Arts Society Orchestra. From 2004-2005 she was a member of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and a resident artist in the Teatime Concert Series in Tallahassee, Florida.
Ms. Jasineviciute is an accomplished chamber music player and was a member of the Southeastern Louisiana University String Quartet, which was a semifinalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2002. She also is a winner of the Music Teachers National Association Chamber Music Competition in the State of Florida Division.
Besides her career in performance, Ms. Jasineviciute has long term teaching experience that would include JPS string program, string program and viola class at Southeastern Louisiana University (as a faculty member) as well as viola class at Florida State University (as a graduate assistance).
Since September of 2005, she has been the principal violist of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra String Quartet. During summers she participates in the Summer Festival of the Missouri Symphony Society in Columbia, Missouri.