Biography
Pala Garcia is a critically acclaimed violinist recently named a 2024 National Arts Club Fellow. She was also featured as a leading innovative artist in the Washington Post’s “23 for ’23: Performers and Composers to Watch.” Garcia previously served on the faculty of The Juilliard School’s Preparatory Division, on the violin and chamber music faculty of Hunter College, and as a teaching artist with Carnegie Hall’s social impact programs.
Alongside spouse John Popham, Garcia is a member, co-founder, and co-director of the chamber trio Longleash, which specializes in commissioning, performing and curating contemporary music. Their trio has performed internationally at venues such as the TIME:SPANS Festival, Kennedy Center, Kaufman Center, Noguchi Museum, National Sawdust, EMPAC, Princeton University, and others. The trio’s discography can be heard on New Focus Recordings, Innova, and New Amsterdam Records. Garcia has also appeared as a regular guest with world-class ensembles including the International Contemporary Ensemble, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and on stages such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Guggenheim Museum, Met Museum, Skirball Center, Caramoor, and others.
Garcia received undergraduate and graduate degrees from The Juilliard School. She was also a Senior Teaching Fellow at The Graduate Center, CUNY, and an Academy Fellow with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.