Jiles Defosse is a 13 year old violinist. He took up an interest in the instrument when he was 4.5 years old, when an after-school violin program was starting at his school. He begged his mom, and was told that once you started, you’d have to see it through. Young Jiles said he would, and after a lot more begging, half a year later, he started his first lesson with the program. At 8 years old he joined his first youth orchestra. It was very different, and Jiles really enjoyed the feeling of working in a group to make music. The summer before 7th grade, Jiles participated in the junior division of the Heifetz International Music Institute, where he studied chamber music for the first time. It was also his first time playing the viola. It was intriguing to learn about the differences between playing the viola and the violin, and his coach taught him how to listen and play together with his chamber mates. Jiles now studies violin at Peabody preparatory, and he loves listening to the great romantic violin concertos, especially the Tchaikovsky violin concerto.