Milena Pajaro-van der Stadt

Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt is one of the leading violists of her generation, praised by The Strad for her “silky tone and beautiful, supple lines.” She has appeared as soloist with the New York String Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Tokyo Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony, Sphinx Chamber Orchestra, and Symphony in C, and has performed in recital and chamber music settings throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

She was the founding violist of the twice-Grammy-nominated Dover Quartet, performing with the ensemble from 2008 to 2022. During her tenure, the quartet won First Prize and every special award at the Banff International String Quartet Competition, the Gold Medal and Grand Prize at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, the Cleveland Quartet Award, and an Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Milena’s own honors include First Prize at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition and top prizes at the Sphinx and Tokyo International Viola Competitions. She is now a member of the piano quartet Espressivo! with Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, and Anna Polonsky.

She studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and earned her master’s degree in String Quartet at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.