Riccardi, Barbara

Violin

Violinist Barbara Riccardi is a native of New York who was born into a musical family. Her formal training began at the age of three on the piano, following in the footsteps of her brother, pianist Richard Riccardi and soon after she began violin lessons. She graduated magna cum laude from Vassar College where her affinity for chamber music emerged and led to a mentorship with the Guarneri String Quartet, whose first violinist Arnold Steinhardt became her sole violin teacher for many years.

Ms. Riccardi joined the San Francisco Symphony under Seiji Ozawa and, subsequently, the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, where the opportunity to draw on the artistry of vocal masters became another wellspring of inspiration. She ultimately left her Symphony post behind in favor of a career custom designed to combine chamber music with this newfound passion. 

She served as Concertmaster of Festival Opera of Walnut Creek for 10 years and is a founding member and first violinist of the Temescal Quartet which performs regularly in the Bay Area and beyond.