Taylor DeCastro

• M.M. Candidate, Violin Performance, University of Washington, Seattle, 2026
• B.M., Violin Performance, Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, 2024

Born and raised on O’ahu, Hawai’i, violinist Taylor DeCastro is a graduate assistant at the University of Washington where she is pursuing her Master of Music in Violin Performance. Most recently, DeCastro graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Music from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. She has performed as Concertmaster and Principal Second Violin of the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, with the Lawrence University New Music Ensemble (LUNME), and has performed throughout the United States, Canada, and France. With LUNME, she has worked with and performed for composers Michael Gordon and Inti Figgis-Vizueta. DeCastro has also performed in masterclasses for esteemed musicians such as Addison Teng, Georgina Rossi, Gregory Lee, Jean Barr, Bella Hristova, Eric Silberger, the Spektral Quartet, Cavani Quartet, and Escher String Quartet. In 2024, DeCastro was named a finalist in the Musicians Club of Women Competition in Chicago, Illinois. 

As a passionate chamber musician, DeCastro has attended the Zodiac Music Festival in Valdeblore, France, and the Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival in Leavenworth, Washington, where she was able to perform alongside faculty. She has also previously performed alongside the New York City based quintet, Founders, in the Lawrence University Performing Arts Series and with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra. 

An advocate for underrepresented voices and accessibility in the music world, DeCastro is dedicated to curating diverse and educational performances, as well as creating inclusive teaching environments. Her primary teachers include Rachel Lee Priday, Samantha George, Colin Belisle, Helen Liu-Wong, and Ellie Albers LeRoux.