Violist Ames Asbell has performed classical, tango, and popular music on six continents in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to clubs. Recent international performances include International Viola Congresses in New Zealand and Poland, as well as recitals in South Africa and Australia. She has recorded for Nonesuch, Harmonia Mundi, Naxos, Sony, and more, including seven appearances on PBS staple Austin City Limits. Ames is violist of the Tosca String Quartet, Principal Violist of Austin Opera and a member of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and she performs regularly with Arizona Musicfest, Victoria Bach Festival, and acclaimed choral group, Conspirare. Ames is currently Associate Professor of Viola at Texas State University, where she founded the Texas State String Project in 2010. She has served on the board of the American VIola Society since 2016, coordinated the 2021 AVS Festival, and will serve as President of the AVS in 2023-26.