Biography

Sonja Prychitko is a professional violinist, music educator, and music scholar residing in Phoenix, Arizona.

Sonja is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree in Violin Performance at Arizona State University (ASU). In 2021, she graduated with her first Master of Music in Violin Performance Pedagogy from ASU. Sonja studies violin with Dr. Danwen Jiang, and is conducting research on music, mindfulness, and practice. She is a violinist in the Arizona State University Symphony Orchestra and the orchestra librarian for the ASU orchestras.

In addition to her musical studies, Sonja holds two degrees from Northern Michigan University, a Master of Science in General Psychology (2017) and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology for Graduate Preparation (2014). As a graduate student, Sonja studied cognitive psychology and specialized in music cognition and perception research. Her thesis, “A NIRS Study of Violinists and Pianists Employing Music and Motor Imageries to Assess Neural Differences in Music Perception,” is currently being edited for submission to the scientific journal Brain and Cognition.

Throughout her education at Northern Michigan University, Sonja studied violin with Dr. Barbara Rhyneer. Sonja was the concertmaster of the NMU Orchestra and an active member of the NMU Pit Orchestra. Sonja regularly performed as a section violinist with the Marquette Symphony Orchestra (2008-2019), Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra (2012-2019), Marquette Choral Society Chamber Orchestra, and Lake Superior Theater Orchestra. In 2016, Sonja was a recipient of the Performing Artist Award for the UPstarts Performing Artist series with the Pine Mountain Music Festival. She performed solo and chamber works in three recitals across Upper Michigan.

Sonja was a founding member, violinist, and arranger of a pop-rock chamber group, Eclettico (2008-2016). In 2014, Eclettico received the Performing Artist Award from the Marquette Arts & Culture Center for their community outreach through music education. Sonja also joined the progressive rock group, The Terminal Orchestra, with whom she toured the Midwest and recorded several tracks on violin and viola for their second album Leave Home, Rabbit (2017). In 2014, Sonja and colleague Alexis Mahler attended the SAVVY Arts Venture Challenge at the University of South Carolina, a professional development workshop for music entrepreneurs run by Dr. David Cutler, where they designed a successful music business model and won the top prize for their creation. Along with colleagues Alexis Mahler and Matt Mitchell, Sonja held the role of director, business manager, and orchestra librarian of the Upper Peninsula Youth Orchestra (2014-2018) under the mentorship of Dr. Barbara Rhyneer.

Numerous teachers have taught Sonja throughout her years of taking private lessons. Her most influential teachers were all women: Wendy Larson, Dr. Barbara Rhyneer, Dr. Samantha George, and Dr. Danwen Jiang. Each enthusiastically and wholly supported Sonja’s passion for music and continue to provide meaningful mentorship and friendship.

Sonja also enjoys playing the viola, piano, and guitar, creating transcriptions and arrangements of rock and pop music for string ensembles, and studying music history and theory. Aside from her many musical endeavors, Sonja loves animals, reading, learning, movies, photography, traveling, mindfulness/wellness, and yoga.