Teaching

I have taught at the School of Music at University of North Carolina School of the Arts since 1990, have been chair of its string department since this position was created, and was recognized with its Excellence in Teaching Award in 2007.

My approach to teaching is based on my study with Ivan Galamian and his assistant Margaret Pardee, refined and personalized during more than 30 years of teaching experience with students of many different ages and levels. While my own style is much more about Socratic dialogue than the directives favored by my own mentors, the goals remain the same—to teach students how to analyze technical problems so that they achieve a full command of the instrument, to give them an understanding of a variety of musical styles, and to encourage them toward full emotional communication with their listeners. Taken together, these factors lead students to success in the act of musical communication with an audience.

I take as an axiom that there is no way for me to pre-judge the degree of potential a student may have, so my expectations for each student are very high. These expectations have been met and even exceeded by many of my UNCSA students, who have won principal positions in Switzerland (Sankt Gallen) and Germany (Jena), as well as in the Virginia Symphony, Arkansas Symphony and Tulsa Symphony, while others perform in orchestras ranging from St. Luke’s in New York City, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica, to Entschede, Germany, or hold teaching positions at the University of Northern Colorado, University of South Florida, Vanderbilt University, and at music schools in Spain and in Germany. One is active in the central European early music scene, performing regularly with Hof-Musici, Dresdner Instrumental Concert and Cammermusik Potsdam. Another student, originally from Venezuela, is now the first violinist in the Brazilian Quarteto Radames Gnattali, which recently received a Grammy nomination. Some of these students and their current positions are listed below. I remain in close touch with many of these gifted violinists and greatly value my relationship with them all.

Professional Affiliations of Some Former Students:

Teodora Dimitrova—Sinfonieorchester Basel
Kirsty Barrnett Green—Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Keats Dieffenbach—Cramer Quartet, Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Josh Holritz—concertmaster of Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
Drew Irvin—concertmaster of Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
Elizabeth Lee—Texas Christian University
Ronald Long—London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, violinist in movie Chevalier
Jessica McJunkins—concertmaster of Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra, soloist of Beyoncé K Carter’s band
Amber McPherson—Dresdner Instrumental Concert, Chemnitzer Barock Orchester, Hofmusici, Kinhaven Music School
Francisco Miro—Conservatorio Profesional Murcia
Naho Parrini—Director of Bloomingdale School of Music’s Music Access Project
Carla Rincon—1st violin of Radamés Gnattali Quartet, Brazil
Ricardo Ruiz—Basque National Orchestra
Kati Tenner—Netherlands Symphony Orchestra
Nicole Wendl—Executive Director of Boston University Tanglewood Institute
Kevin Zheng—Music Director of New Haven Chamber Orchestra