Violin
Violinist Ashley Windle joined WHCO in 2016 and serves as assistant concertmaster. She is WHCO’s current Executive Director, for which she was named “New Yorker of the Week” by Spectrum’s NY1. She performs with the American Ballet Theatre and the American Symphony Orchestra as well as records for TV and film; recent projects include “The Last Showgirl” and “Étoile.” Originally from Canada, Ashley lives in Washington Heights with her husband and two young children.
Meet Ashley
What drew you to your instrument of choice?
When I was in preschool, a group of Suzuki “Twinklers” came to perform “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” for my class. I was immediately hooked and pestered my mother for nearly two years until she relented and allowed me to start violin lessons.
What are some of your hobbies outside of music?
I love to garden and even have a little vegetable patch with my kids in the garden at OSA! A few times this summer I was able to say, “Let’s go to the garden and pick some veggies for our snack.” It feels almost miraculous to be able to do that in NYC.
What’s your go-to hype up piece to play?
When I need a boost (and a break from listening to the repertoire I’m performing), I listen to Beethoven’s piano sonatas, and sometimes I try to play them on piano (badly!). I also really love the last movement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. It can turn any rough day around for me, but I have to listen with caution since it sometimes makes me cry during my subway commute!
What is your secret to balancing hard work and discipline while keeping your passion alive?
For me, hard work and discipline ARE what I am passionate about! I view practicing as my primary job and performing as my reward. I love to practice. (But only violin. I never liked practicing piano despite taking lessons for years!)
What is your favorite part about performing?
I love the spontaneity and having to be on my toes at all times while onstage. It really requires you to know the score, to know what the other instruments will be playing so that you can react on a moment’s notice to a new idea. And sometimes the audience catches us off guard; in one recent “Storytime” performance, we were just about to breathe and cue our entrance when a little kid yelled out “3, 2, 1…GO!” Somehow we managed to start playing together, even though we really wanted to start laughing instead! Being able to react while performing is something that develops over time, and it helps when you really can trust your musical colleagues who are with you onstage as well.