Aurica Duca

A native of the Republic of Moldova, Aurica Duca began violin at age seven. Duca has participated in various international competitions, such as Remember Enescu and Kloster Schöntal. She is the first prize winner of the Cornelia Bronzetti Violin Competition and the International Violin Competition of Brasov. In 2000, she was awarded the Grand Prix winner at the Paul Constantinescu International Competition in Romania. Other awards include the Mayor’s Scholarship of Chișinău, Moldova and the prestigious scholarship from the Foundation of Beneficence.  

In 2006, Duca joined the violin section of the Jacksonville Symphony as one of the orchestra’s youngest players. In the fall of 2015, she was appointed Principal Second Violin. She is also the concertmaster of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, a position she has held since 2013.  

Duca has performed with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and has had solo engagements with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the National Philharmonic of Chișinău and the National Youth Orchestra in Holland. She has studied at the A. Casella Conservatory in Laquila, Italy and at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Felix Ayo. Her summer festival credits include Spoleto Festival USA, Spoleto Festival Italy, the St. Augustine Music Festival and is featured in Festival Mozaic’s Chamber Music Series in San Luis Obispo, California every summer. 

Expanding her interest beyond classical music, Duca toured internationally with GRAMMY® Award winning jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, including an annual holiday residency at New York’s Blue Note jazz club from 2010-2012. In 2014, she co-founded the Lawson ensemble along with violist/violinist Clinton Dewing and cellist Nick Curry.  The Lawson Ensemble is currently in residence at the University of North Florida.   

Duca is married to violinist Clinton Dewing and has three daughters Siena, Nola and Som