Ash Mach is a violist, scholar, and educator at the University of Denver Lamont School of Music, jointly pursuing an MM in viola performance and an MA in music theory. They earned their BM with honors in viola performance at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Their musical interests revolve around contemporary music theory and performance practice, the intersection between music and social justice, and cross-cultural communication through music.

Most recently, Ash presented their research “Microformal Transformations to Create Macroform in Tristan Murail’s C’est Un Jardin Secret” at the Lamont Quarterly Research Colloquium and the Mountain-Plains Music Library Association Conference. In 2019, they studied contemporary music theory in Paris, France through a partnership with the Eastman School of Music and IRCAM. In October 2021, they will travel to Toronto, Ontario to present an analysis and performance of Rebecca Saunder’s Dialogue for viola and percussion at the “Dialogues: Analysis and Performance” Workshop and Conference. Since fall 2020, they have served as a teaching assistant in music theory at Lamont.

Ash is a research assistant in ethnomusicology, studying community music programs and community-engaged learning courses. They serve as a Teaching Fellow at El Sistema Colorado and volunteers as a Viola Instructor for Through the Staff. Additionally, Ash is on the board of the Lamont DEI Student Council. Previously, Ash interned for Youth Programs at Aurora Suister Cities International; worked as a Violin Helper at Fairview Elementary School in Bloomington, Indiana; was a student chef and assistant at IU’s Asian Culture Center; served on the student council for IU’s Deans Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion as well as the Jacobs Diversity and Inclusion Task Force; and presented in a panel discussion titled “Jacobs Community Conversations: How do Artists Identify and Approach Situations of Injustice?”

As a performer, Ash is a member of the Lamont Modern Music Ensemble, placed runner-up in the Lamont Chamber Music Competition, and performed at the annual Lamont Showcase Gala. Festival appearances include the Orford Music Academy, Montreal Contemporary Music Lab, SPLICE Institute, Longy Divergent Workshop, Music Academy International, LyricaFest, and the Castleman Quartet Program. Their mentors include violists Basil Vendryes and Steve Wyrczynski, and academics Sean Friar, Aleysia Whitmore, and Marquisha Scott.