Violinist Joella Pinto is an active performer and teacher based in Auckland. She is member of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the Arcus Quartet, and currently teaches at St Cuthbert’s College and Epsom Music School, as well as a privately from the Ockham precincts.

Recently, Joella performed as a soloist with the Wairua Sinfonietta, playing the Brahms Double Concerto with her husband Martin Roberts, as well as at the Seeport Festival, performing Beethoven’s Romance in F with the Auckland Symphony Orchestra. In previous years Joella has also appeared as soloist with the St Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra, the Aorangi Symphony Orchestra and the St Mary’s Symphony.

As a chamber musician, Joella has been an artist on roster for Lincoln Center Stage on Holland America Line and has performed at festivals such as the Domaine Forget Académie Internationale, the Tuckermore Music Festival and the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. She has also won first prize with the Summerhill Quartet at the Glenn Gould School Chamber Music Competition. Joella was very excited to have been invited to Juilliard at the Piccolo Accademia in Tuscany and Music by the Sea in Bamfield, though the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic prevented these from going ahead.

As an orchestral musician Joella has performed and toured with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, The Royal Conservatory Orchestra, Piper’s Sinfonia, Bach Musica and the Manukau Symphony Orchestra, among others. During her student years, Joella has also won the position of Concertmaster of the NZSO National Youth Orchestra and The Royal Conservatory Orchestra, as well as the University of Auckland Symphony Orchestra.

Having a keen interest in early music, Joella enjoys playing baroque violin and has performed with the Rezonance Ensemble, University of Toronto Collegium and the Auckland Collegium Musicum. Joella is immensely grateful for her musical upbringing, having learned the violin with her father and played in a piano trio with her siblings. She enjoyed taking part in the rich music and arts life at St Mary’s College in Auckland as well as the National Youth Orchestra during her teenage years. She studied towards her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at the University of Auckland under the tutelage of Elizabeth Holowell on full scholarship, before being accepted into the Artist Diploma Programme at the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto as a full scholarship student with Barry Shiffman and Erika Raum.