Cassandra Lynne Richburg is a founding member of the New Century Chamber Orchestra, based in San Francisco, and is an active studio musician in Los Angeles. She has performed on more than 350 motion picture soundtracks, including: Avatar, Encanto, The Lion King, Steel Magnolias, A Beautiful Mind, Moana, The Princess and the Frog and Frozen. On many occasions, she has been a member of the Academy and Emmy Awards Orchestras and the Grammy Strings. Lynne has also performed on Soul Train, NAACP Image Awards, and Dancing with the Stars, and was invited to join the jury panel as an adjudicator for the 2014 William Primrose International Viola Competition.

Richburg started playing viola at age 10. She is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and has won many competitions across the nation, including the Wendell Irish National Viola Competition, the William Primrose International Viola Competition and a special prize award in the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition.

While a student at the University of Michigan, she was featured in the video-taped “Master Viola Series” by Donald McInnes and received Bachelor and Master’s Degrees from the University of Southern California, under the guidance of Donald McInnes and Alan DeVeritch.

Richburg has been a featured soloist with several orchestras, including:  the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Savannah Symphony, Sacramento Symphony, and the New Century Chamber Orchestra. She has held positions of Assistant and Acting Principal Violist with the Sacramento Symphony, Principal Violist with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and was a member of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra. She has also played and toured with the New York Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphonies as a substitute musician and has participated in the Sun Valley Music Festival for many summers.

Lynne enjoys teaching students of all ages. She was a teaching assistant at the University of Southern California, and participated in the “Adventures in Music” program sponsored by the San Francisco Symphony. As a member of the Chevalier String Quartet, Lynne participated in an and educational project and movie about the “Extraordinary life of Joseph Bolonge Chevalier de Saint-Georges.”

Richburg currently resides in Sacramento, California. 

What is your hometown?

Sacramento, CA

How long have you performed with New Century?

I am a founding member [Since 1992].

What do you love about New Century?

The people and the high level of musicianship.

What is your favorite New Century memory?

Touring together.

How did you start learning your instrument, or who inspired you to begin?

I started in the 5th grade in the E. Lansing Public Schools music program, and my private piano teacher suggested that I sign up for the viola.

What do you like to do when you're not being a musician? What are your hobbies?

Biking, making jewelry, designing clocks, and taking care of the many plants in my atrium.

What's your favorite Bay Area place (restaurant, park, etc.)?

I like the fact that San Francisco is surrounded by water, and there are many beautiful sights in different parts of the city to view.