Violist Aleida Gehrels is a Seattle based performer and recording artist.  A leading collaborator in cross-genre music, Aleida has toured with Macklemore and been featured live on KEXP radio with ODESZA and Jeremy Enigk. Other recent highlights include an appearance performing on the hit Netflix show Love Is Blind, as well as concerts, tours, and recordings with Father John Misty, Perfume Genius, Abney Park, Tyler Edwards, et al. Aleida frequently appears with Andrew Joslyn and the Passenger String Quartet and the Seattle Rock Orchestra, and is an active contributor to the rich PNW singer-songwriter community.

In addition to her work in contemporary music, Aleida maintains an active career as a classical violist.  She performs 70+ events annually with Arcobaleno Strings and has represented the city of Seattle as the violist of the Seattle-Bergen String Quartet, a touring ensemble focused on cultural diplomacy between the two sister cities. She is a former musician and member of the artistic board for Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra and The Sound Ensemble, with whom she has been broadcast live on KING FM radio, and has worked as a substitute musician with the Fifth Avenue Theatre, Seattle Modern Orchestra, Bellingham Festival of Music, Village Theatre, North Corner Chamber Orchestra, and the Auburn, Federal Way, Yakima, and Tacoma Symphonies.

Aleida’s diverse musical interests stem from her rigorous classical training. She made her debut as a soloist at the age of 17, performing the Stamitz Viola Concerto with the Tucson Pops Orchestra.  She went on to achieve her Bachelors in Music with Hong-Mei Xiao at the University of Arizona and her Masters in Music with Roger Chase at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. Upon completing her degrees Aleida embarked on a career as a chamber musician, touring all seven continents with the Beacon Street Strings on board luxury cruise liners.  She relocated permanently to Seattle in 2015 and has quickly become one of the most sought after freelance violists in the region. Aleida performs on a Chappuy viola from Paris, 1772.