Viraj Sonawala

Hometown

Diamond Bar, California

Education

University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Music Performance-Percussion and Music Education, 2021-Present

Instrument

Percussion

Biography

Viraj Sonawala is currently pursuing a double major in Percussion Performance and Music Education at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). He began studying percussion at the age of ten and has a passion for the world of classical and contemporary music as expressed through percussion performance and through music education for children and adults.

Viraj Sonawala was a section member and then co-principal percussionist with Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble (PSYWE) from 2016 to 2021, travelling with the ensemble to Vienna and Salzburg, Austria to participate in the Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in July 2017 as part of PSYWE's 10th Anniversary season. Sonawala is also one of the founding members of the PSYWE Percussion Ensemble and has participated in the California All-Southern and All-State Honor Ensembles between 2015 and 2021. This past summer he participated in the Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI) Percussion Workshop in Western Massachusetts and Sō Percussion Summer Institute (SōSI) in Princeton, New Jersey.

Currently, Viraj Sonawala is involved with numerous classical and contemporary music ensembles including UCLA Philharmonia, Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Flux Contemporary, Bruin Chamber Musicians, and Music of India Ensemble, as well as outside groups such as the Loyola Law School Orchestra, and the California Young Artists Symphony.

What inspired you to go into music?

I was inspired by my late grandfather to go into music because of his passion for performance on the tabla, an Indian classical music instrument. It was then and there that my passion for music wanted to be helping others recognize who I am and the performance I bring. I was very influenced by my supportive parents and grandparents to go into music as it is a fun activity that helps me to make a difference in my community.

What is an interesting fact about you?

I am ambidextrous and can do all activities with BOTH hands.

What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?

I love playing golf, tennis, basketball, and volunteering.

What are you most excited for about this 2024-2025 season?

I’m most excited to collaborate with musicians from all backgrounds in creating music that is meaningful and for building my connections in the classical music setting as a percussionist. Also, I’d like to play more music from more contemporary settings.

Favorite Musical Quote:

“Life without music is unthinkable. Music without life is academic. That is why my contact with music is a total embrace.”

-Leonard Bernstein