Tamara Freida

Tamara was raised near Rochester, NY where she enjoyed the musical influence of her parents and the Hochstein and Eastman Schools of Music. After completing degrees in Violin Performance at Ithaca College and Arizona State University she successfully auditioned for the Arizona Opera Orchestra, where she has played with the passionate and hardworking musicians of Phoenix and Tucson since 2008. Tamara also regularly performs with the San Juan Symphony in Durango, Colorado. 

Quicksand Soup is a high energy bluegrass band that plays weekly at the Backyard Theatre in Moab. Tamara and the talented gentlemen of QSS recorded 4 diverse albums in 2018 which include Miss You Darling, Country Sweetgrass, Colorado Trail, and Western Gospel. Selections from their albums can be heard on the the soundtrack to 2020 film, The Unfinished Fight of Seldom Seen Sleight. Quicksand Soup’s sometimes old timey sound combined with their modern musical interests make it a fun project that continues to evolve. Come see us live at the Backyard Theatre Wednesday nights from March through October, weather permitting. All albums can be bought on iTunes, Spotify, cd baby, and Amazon and of course at the Backyard Theater’s merchandise table where you can say hello to the lovely, Tammy. www.QuicksandSoup.com

With a different vibe, Tamara’s electronic gypsy cowboy group, The Nanites, play in local outdoor venues, sometimes on a boat floating along the Colorado River, and in other places with pristine vistas of red rock and the La Sal Mountains. With a pile of original tunes of their own, The Nanites have played at Building Man 2023 and 2024, as well as entertained at the Skinny Tire Fest, the Moab Free Concert Series as an opening act, and a set at the 2024 Moab Folk festival’s local stage showcase.

The wide variety of music that Tamara enjoys playing is evident as she has performed at the Prescott Bluegrass Festival, Moab Arts Festival, A Bluegrass Saturday Night in Salt Lake City’s Gallivan Plaza, The 150th Anniversary celebration of John Wesley Powell’s 1869 expedition in Vernal, UT, a boisterous private high school celebration on the windy banks of the Colorado River, The Uranium Miners Annual Luncheon, La Boheme with Arizona Opera, as well as numerous concerts in and around Graz, Austria with the AIMS Festival Orchestra. Tamara has also played many weddings, and special events for the Moab Chamber of Commerce.

Teaching and organizing events for the Beacon String Program and teaches private lessons to students of all ages has been rewarding for Tamara, and she also taught general music for 4 years at the Moab Charter School before narrowing her focus to teaching strings solely in private lessons and to Grand County Middle School and High School students.

Tamara is amazed by the diverse group of musicians in the Moab area and is inspired by their creative music making. She is so grateful for the education she has received in academic settings and summer festivals, as well as the inspiring people she continues to meet along her musical journey.