Vanessa Moss is a violinist, chamber musician, educator, and orchestral leader based in the Pacific Northwest who believes that music should serve as a vehicle for connection and community. Guided by this philosophy, she is a founding member of the Glass House String Quartet and concertmaster of the Walla Walla Symphony. Her musical life has taken her to a variety of beautiful places: grand concert halls, intimate wine cellars, and even ledges in the Grand Canyon serenading river rafters on the Colorado River.

As a freelance performer, Moss performs regularly with ensembles and organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest including the Spokane Symphony, Northwest Sinfonietta, Emerald City Music, and the Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival. International engagements include South Korea with the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and China with the American Festival Orchestra. In 2024, she served as Principal Second Violin of the Edeta Arts Festival Orchestra in Valencia, Spain. Additional appearances include performances with Andrea Bocelli, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Music of Square Enix. As a violin soloist, she has performed Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending, Piazzolla's Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas, and Max Richter's Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons.
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Moss nurtures a thriving private violin studio in Ellensburg, Washington. Her students regularly advance to state-level Solo & Ensemble competitions, participate in All-State and All-Northwest ensembles, win concerto competitions, pursue collegiate music studies, and go on to serve as leaders in their own musical communities. While she celebrates these accomplishments, she considers success as students develop curiosity, self-discipline, and a lifelong love of learning that enriches every aspect of their lives. Her own musical upbringing was shaped by teachers Katrin St. Clair, Rhonda Marsh, Carrie Rehkopf-Michel, and Denise Dillenbeck.

When not practicing or rehearsing, Vanessa can be found running long distances and exploring the geological wonders of the Pacific Northwest. She lives in Ellensburg with her husband, percussionist Josh Gianola, their black lab Gilly, and two cats.

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