Jessica Lee (Violin '01) Named Chair of Cleveland Institute of Music Violin Department

Renowned violinist, pedagogue, and Curtis alumna Jessica Lee (’01), grand prize winner of the 2005 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, has stepped down from her longtime position as assistant concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, and into a new, full-time role at the Cleveland Institute of Music as the chair of its violin department.

Ms. Lee carries on the legacy of acclaimed violin pedagogues at the school, including Donald Weilerstein, David Updegraff, Paul Kantor, and Curtis alumni David Cerone (’62) and Linda Cerone (’60). She also will lead one of the nation’s prestigious violin departments, a group that includes such esteemed musicians as Jaime Laredo (’59), Malcolm Lowe (’74), Ilya Kaler,  Olga Dubossarskaya Kaler, Stephen Rose, and Philip Setzer.

“After years of teaching while playing in the great Cleveland Orchestra, I am so excited to devote myself full-time to the students I love and admire,” said Ms. Lee. “Alongside my wonderful colleagues, I will work tirelessly to provide the greatest music education and support for our passionate young musicians for many years to come.”

A longtime member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two and the Johannes String Quartet, Ms. Lee has appeared with the Plzen Philharmonic, the Gangnam Symphony at the Seoul Arts Center, at Alice Tully Hall and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and toured frequently with the Musicians from Marlboro, including appearances at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City’s Town Hall, and the Kennedy Center. Passionate about teaching the next generation of violinists, she has previously served on faculty at Music@Menlo, Oberlin College, Curtis Summerfest, and Vassar College.

Read the news on the Strad and Violin Channel.

Visit Jessica Lee’s official website.

Photos of Ms. Lee courtesy of Jean Schreiber Management.