Shana Bey ’06 has been playing the violin since the age of six. A native of Houston, Texas, she attended some of the premiere performing arts schools, including The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. After graduating from high school, Bey continued to Loyola University New Orleans where she studied with Valerie Poullette and received a bachelor of music degree in violin performance. While at Loyola, Bey won the College of Music’s Concerto Competition and soloed with the Loyola University Symphony Orchestra. She was also the concertmaster of the Loyola Symphony and Chamber Orchestras her junior and senior years.
In 2009, Bey received a master’s degree in violin performance at the University of Texas at Austin where she studied with Eugene Gratovich. Over the course of her career, she has performed in several masterclasses given by world-renowned musicians including Brian Lewis, Robert McDuffie, Roland and Almita Vamos, Donald Weilerstein, and the Miro’ Quartet. She has also been fortunate to perform with numerous major symphonies and ensembles including, the Houston Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Corpus Christi Symphony, Austin Pops Orchestra, and The Hollywood Concert Orchestra. In 2008, Bey auditioned for the Round Rock Symphony and was appointed the Symphony’s first concertmaster. In August 2010, Bey auditioned for the Austin Symphony and won a violin position, joining the group in its Centennial Season!
Loyola had such a major impact on Bey’s music career. “Over the years, I’ve come to realize just how fortunate I was to work with such incredible professors and musicians at the College of Music. Seeing how determined the music faculty was in helping develop and cultivate well-rounded musicians kept me motivated and optimistic about pursuing a career in music. Furthermore, studying violin with Valerie Poullette has had the strongest impact on my career. I am eternally grateful for her dedication in enhancing the abilities of her students. She was able to open my eyes to many new and exciting possibilities and show me just how spectacular the musical world can be! My time at Loyola was unlike any other, and I know that the foundation I received there was the key to my current and future successes.”
For more information, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (800) 798-ALUM, (504) 861-5454, or alumni@loyno.edu.