The Santa Fe Symphony’s second violinist Valerie Turner is a native New Yorker. Born in the Bronx just steps from Yankee Stadium, Valerie studied violin at the State University of New York at Purchase. She received a full fellowship with the National Institute of Orchestral Studies in NYC. Her summer studies included Aspen Music Festival, Meadowmount School of Music, Waterloo Music Festival, and Mannes School of Music. She made her way to New Mexico via the violin section at The Santa Fe Opera and fell in love with the sunsets.

Valerie has freelanced as a violinist extensively, performing with the American Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Opera, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Stamford Chamber Orchestra, and the Binghamton Symphony. Besides the Santa Fe Symphony, Valerie regularly performs with the New Mexico Philharmonic, Performance Santa Fe, Opera Southwest, Placitas Artists Series, and Albuquerque Chamber Soloists, as well as being an active member of Music in the Mountains festival for the past ten years.

In 2002, she moved to Albuquerque with her family when her husband became the music director of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Valerie and her husband, Guillermo Figueroa, have three beautiful daughters—Giovanna, Sofia, and Valeria.