Born in Lisbon, Portugal, violist and violinist Joana Miranda is passionate about playing and coaching chamber music. In addition to coaching chamber ensembles for three summers at Point Counter Point Music Camp in Brandon, VT, she has also conducted and coached the string orchestra at Carroll College in Brookfield, WI, and served as an upper strings coach for the Greater Twin Youth Symphonies in Minneapolis, MN. As a chamber musician, she has performed extensively as both a violinist and violist. Joana was a member of a string quartet in summer residence at Banff (Canada), and has been a member of the Pioneer String Quartet in Des Moines, IA. She also appeared frequently on the Frankly Music Chamber Music series in Milwaukee, WI. Recent highlights of her chamber music concerts include appearances at Spectrum Music, concerts with members of the New York City Ballet and New York Philharmonic, and performances with musicians and guest artists at the Music in the Mountains Festival in Durango, Colorado.
As an active freelancer in New York and New Jersey, Joana has played with such ensembles as New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, New York Pops, New Jersey Symphony, Mostly Mozart Festival, and on Broadway with Wicked. Joana moved to New York City in 2010 after being a member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for ten years. Previously, she served as Principal Second Violin of Minnesota Opera and Assistant Concertmaster of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. Joana holds B.M., M.M. Degrees and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music where she was a violin student of Zvi Zeitlin and William Preucil. In 1993 she was a recipient of the prestigious Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Award. Joana has been a member of the Colorado Music Festival, Mainly Mozart, and Music in the Mountains festivals, in addition to playing operas at the Schlossfestpiele in Heidelberg, Germany. She has played recitals throughout the U.S. and in Europe. Joana is also a published cartoonist and illustrator.