Rita Andrade

Rita Andrade is a Los Angeles-based violist and composer, active in film and TV orchestral recordings, symphony, and chamber music performances. Alongside her classical training at the University of Texas at Austin and DePaul University in Chicago, Rita's musicianship has been largely shaped by her time with the chamber pop ensemble Mother Falcon, followed by a significant chapter with the ATLYS String Quartet. These chapters immersed her in both classical and multi-genre worlds, leading to over a thousand performances worldwide in concert halls, nightclubs, and aboard a ship at sea. 

Rita’s orchestral journey includes treasured seasons with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she served as assistant principal violist, as well as fellowships with the Grant Park Symphony and Chicago Sinfonietta. Her love for orchestral playing naturally carried into film and television, where she has recorded for numerous productions, including Avatar: The Way of Water, and contributed to various albums by artists from Mitski, Iron & Wine to Miley Cyrus.

Her performance highlights span an extraordinary range of stages and collaborators: Beyoncé at the NFL Halftime Show, Kelly Clarkson’s Las Vegas residency, Andrea Bocelli and Jennifer Hudson at the KIA Forum, Björk at Coachella, John Legend at the Emmys, Chris Martin on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Celeste at the Oscars, Danny Elfman at the Sick New World Festival, Erykah Badu and Madlib at Camp Flog Gnaw, Seven Lions at Red Rocks and The Gorge Amphitheater, and live performances of Encanto, Game of Thrones, and The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl.

Beyond the stage, Rita finds joy in the ocean and mountains of Los Angeles, embracing the beauty and nuance of a creative life.

Rita was a Grant Park Music Festival String Fellow in 2016.