Violist Jennifer Clare Paulson is a member of the Madison Symphony and has held positions in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago (where conductors included Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, and John Adams), Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the former Green Bay Symphony, and the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra. She holds degrees in viola and jazz performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern University, and Augustana College. During her doctoral studies she was a member of UW-Madison’s graduate Hunt Quartet, coached by members of the Pro Arte Quartet. Paulson is a member of several contemporary music groups based in Chicago including Kyle Bruckmann’s WRACK and Ken Vandermark’s Audio One. With those groups she has appeared at distinguished jazz venues in Chicago, including the Hyde Park Jazz Fest and the Green Mill ‐ and internationally, at the Victoriaville Jazz Festival and Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon. She also plays locally with bluegrass band Milkhouse Radio and Graminy, an acoustic ensemble that draws on classical, folk and bluegrass traditions. She teaches at Madison Music Foundry, repairs instruments at Spruce Tree Music, and is also an accomplished player of the Japanese koto.