FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Where are you from?
(Did you mean...)
Where do you live?
I split my time between London and Philadelphia.
Where did you grow up?
Lansdale, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia.
Where were you born?
Hartford, Connecticut.
What is your ethnic make-up?
I am American, born and raised, but I am of Basque, Mexican, Italian, Russian, and Hungarian descent.
Q: How do you pronounce your last name?
If I’m feeling like lending an air of authenticity to my name’s Spanish Basque origins, I pronounce it “Oo-ree-OH-stay”. When I’m feeling a bit more American and/or lazy, I say “You-ree-OH-stee”. However, I promise to respond to, accept, and smile at anything even remotely close!
Q: Do you come from a musical family?
I do not! I was raised an only child, and my parents, though enthusiasts of classical music, are not musicians. My mom was a lawyer for many years and then worked as a project manager at a market research firm; my dad, formerly a submarine navigator, also worked for Lockheed Martin in international business development.
Q: When did you start playing the violin, and why?
My earliest musical inspiration came from the television show Sesame Street: at the age of two, I saw Itzhak Perlman featured on an episode, chatting and playing his violin. I was instantly enamored. Apparently I began pestering my parents for a violin immediately, and after three years they finally relented. I was fortunate enough to attend a public school that boasted a stringed instruments program, and so I began Suzuki lessons in kindergarten at the age of five. Shortly thereafter, I began studying privately.
Q: How do you stay in shape?
Yoga! And a lot of walking around, exploring my surroundings... though truth be told, I'm generally walking to/from some sort of food adventure. I also hate-love running and the odd HIIT class. Click on the YOGA page for more information on my #1 obsession and how it relates to my musical mentality, or on the LINKS page, where you can learn more about my music/yoga program, Intermission.