Performance
Dorothy DeLay MasterClass Series
This master class series - named for an MSU alumna who became one of the world’s most famous violin teachers - brings interested string students and the general public together with virtuosos, maestros and educators who share their technique, explore repertoire, and reflect on life as an artist.
The Dorothy DeLay Master Class Series, launched in Fall 2020 under the leadership of Dmitri Berlinsky, artist-teacher and professor of violin at the MSU College of Music, offers free master classes featuring high-profile artists who studied with the famed pedagogue. Each artist works with string students, and the public is welcome. Anyone registered for a webinar is also invited to attend the corresponding seminar that includes interactive conversations with Berlinsky and the guest artist.
The series provides a space for musicians, students, and music aficionados to learn, engage, and stay connected. Learn more about Dorothy DeLay and read an article about the origins of this series.
The master class series is generously sponsored by the Belle S. and Julius N. Harris Distinguished Visiting Artist Fund established by Lauren Julius Harris.
Violin Master Class Series
Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 Semester
Violin Masterclass with Bella Hristova
Bulgarian-American violinist Bella Hristova has won international acclaim for her “expressive nuance and rich tone” (New York Times) and “impressive power and control” (Washington Post). She has distinguished herself on the world stage as a performing artist with a remarkably diverse repertoire and bold approach to programming. A recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, she has won numerous awards including First Prize in the Michael Hill International Violin Competition, First Prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and is a Laureate of the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. In addition to her many appearances with orchestras, Hristova performs frequently with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and has held residencies at top conservatory and summer music festival programs as a recitalist. She has performed recitals at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and Boston’s Isabella Gardner Museum.
Thursday, March 21, 5:00 pm
Violin Master Class with Chee-Yun Kim
Violinist Chee-Yun's flawless technique, dazzling tone and compelling artistry have enraptured audiences on five continents. Charming, charismatic and deeply passionate about her art, Chee-Yun continues to carve a unique place for herself in the ever-evolving world of classical music. In addition to her active performance and recording schedule, Chee-Yun is a dedicated and enthusiastic educator. She gives master classes around the world and has held several teaching posts at notable music schools and universities. Her past faculty positions have included serving as the resident Starling Soloist and Adjunct Professor of Violin at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and as Visiting Professor of Music (Violin) at the Indiana University School of Music. From 2007 to 2017, she served as Artist-in-Residence and Professor of Violin at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Wednesday, February 21, 12:00 pm
Master Class with Vag Papian, pianist & conductor
Born in Yerevan in 1956, Vag Papian was raised in an artistic family of the People’s Artist of RA, painter Anatoly Papian and the Honored Artist of RA, pianist Amalia Bayburtyan. As a pianist Papian has graduated from the Yerevan Tchaikovsky School of Music (class of Villy Sargsyan) and the Moscow Conservatory (class of Prof. Mikhail Voskresensky). Vag Papian started his successful career as a pianist after winning the second prize at the 1979 Vianna da Motta International Music Competition in Lisbon. As a conductor, Papian has graduated from Saint Petersburg Conservatory (class of Prof. Ilya Musin). Following this period, Papian started his international career as a soloist, conductor, member of various ensembles, performing versatile programs at the important concert halls of the world. He has toured to more than 50 countries, among them the UK, USA, Russia, Slovakia, Japan, Korea, China, India and elsewhere.
Wednesday, January 17, 12:00 pm
Violin Master Class with Vadim Gluzman
Universally recognized among today’s top performing artists, Vadim Gluzman breathes new life and passion into the golden era of the 19th and 20th centuries‘ violin tradition. Gluzman’s wide repertoire embraces new music, and his performances are heard around the world through livestreams, broadcasts and a striking catalogue of award-winning recordings for the BIS label. Distinguished Artist in Residence at the Peabody Conservatory, where he teaches a selected group of young violinists, Gluzman performs on the legendary 1690 ‘ex-Leopold Auer’ Stradivari, on extended loan through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.
Saturday, January 13, 11:00 am
Violin Master Class with Olga Dubossarskaya Kaler
Praised by critics for her "deep, soulful sound" and "powerful, enchanting renditions," Olga Dubossarskaya Kaler has toured three continents as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. Her awards include the Special Prize at the Rodolfo Lipizer International Competition, and First Prizes at the Northwestern Concerto Competition and the Thaviu-Isaak Competition. Kaler’s orchestral engagements include the World Orchestra For Peace directed by Valery Gergiev, the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, as well as leadership positions with the Rochester Philharmonic, Syracuse Symphony, Lake Forest Symphony, and Ars Viva! Orchestra. Kaler is currently a member of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra of New York under the direction of Rossen Milanov. She is also a long-time member of The Chicago Ensemble, with whom she performs frequently.
Wednesday, October 25, 6:00 pm
Violin Master Class with Ilya Kaler
Ilya Kaler is one of the most outstanding personalities of the violin today, with a career ranging from that of soloist and recording artist to chamber musician and professor. He is the only violinist in the world to win the Gold Medal at three of the world’s most prestigious international violin competitions: the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (1986), the Sibelius Competition in Helsinki (1985), and the Paganini Competition in Genoa (1981). Praised by Gramophone magazine as "the magician, bewitching our ears," Kaler has earned rave reviews for his solo appearances with distinguished orchestras such as the Leningrad, Moscow, and Dresden Philharmonic Orchestras, the Montreal Symphony, the Danish and Berlin Radio Orchestras, the Moscow and Zurich Chamber Orchestras, and most major American orchestras.
Wednesday, October 25, 12:00 pm
Violin Master Class Series
Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 Semester
Violin Master Class with David Kim
Violinist David Kim was named Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999. Born in Carbondale, Illinois in 1963, he started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight, and later received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School. He will continue to appear as concertmaster of the 9-time Emmy Award winning All-Star Orchestra on PBS stations across the USA and online at the Khan Academy. Mr. Kim’s first book was released in 2022: The Audition Method for Violin, published by GIA Publications. This long-awaited collection of standard orchestral excerpts walks the reader through each work with David’s suggestions on execution, audition strategy, bowings and fingerings.
Tuesday, April 25, 7:00pm
Violin Master Class with Qianqian Li
Violinist Qianqian Li joined the New York Philharmonic as Principal Second Violin in December 2017. An avid chamber musician, she has collaborated with Andras Schiff, Beatrice Rana, Donald Weilerstein, Roger Tapping, Natasha Brofsky, Brett Dean, Gilbert Kalish, Curtis Macomber. In 2021, She joined the New York Philharmonic String Quartet along with other string principals of the orchestra, Frank Huang, Cynthia Phelps, and Carter Brey. The group performed chamber music across venues in North America and Asia. Her honors include First Prize at Kazakhstan’s inaugural International Violin Competition, the Jules C. Reiner Violin Prize at the Tanglewood Music Center, the Ishikawa Music Academy Award, and prizes won with the Clara Piano Trio, of which she was a member for one year.
Wednesday, April 5, 6:00-8:00pm
Violin Master Class with Frank Huang
Frank Huang joined the New York Philharmonic as Concertmaster, The Charles E. Culpeper Chair, in September 2015. The First Prize Winner of the 2003 Walter W. Naumburg Foundation’s Violin Competition and the 2000 Hannover International Violin Competition, he has established a major career as a violin virtuoso. Since performing with the Houston Symphony in a nationally broadcast concert at the age of 11 he has appeared with orchestras throughout the world including The Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra of Hannover, Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, and the Genoa Orchestra.
Wednsday, April 5, 12:30-2:30pm
Violin Master Class with Kyung Sun Lee
Korean leading violinist Kyung Sun Lee has captured numerous prizes including Tchaikovsky Competition(1994), Queen Elizabeth Competition(1993), Washington International Competition(1991) and the Montreal International Competition(1991). Kyung Sun Lee studied at Seoul National University, Peabody Conservatory, and Juilliard. Her teachers have included Nam Yun Kim, Sylvia Rosenberg, Robert Mann and Dorothy Delay. She plays a
Joseph Guarnerius violin dating from 1723 and she is the artistic director of Changwon International Chamber Music Festival and Seoul Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. This year she has become a tenured violin professor at Jacobs School of Music.
Thursday, March 16, 4:00–6:00pm
Violin Master Class with Itamar Zorman
Itamar Zorman is one of the most soulful, evocative artists of his generation, distinguished by his emotionally gripping performances and gift for musical storytelling. Since his emergence with the top prize at the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition, he has wowed audiences all over the world with breathtaking style, causing one critic to declare him a “young badass who’s not afraid of anything.” His “youthful intensity” and “achingly beautiful” sound shine through in every performance, earning him the title of the “virtuoso of emotions."
Sunday, November 13, 12:00–2:00pm
Violin Master Class Series
Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 Semester
Violin Master Class with Julian Rachlin
Julian Rachlin is one of the most renowned artistic personalities of our time. In his over thirty-year career, Mr. Rachlin’s multifaceted interests have taken him across the globe as a conductor, soloist, recording artist, chamber musician, teacher, and artistic director. As a violinist, Rachlin has shared the stage with virtually every major orchestra and conductor. A major presence in the performing arts since the age of thirteen, Mr. Rachlin has spent over three decades cementing his reputation as one of the world’s premiere classical violinists. Rachlin’s elegant and dynamic style has cemented his reputation as one of the leading conductors of his generation.
Wednesday, February 2, 12:00–2:00pm
Violin Master Class and Presentation with Midori
Virtuoso, visionary and activist Midori hosted in-person master classes at MSU on October 4 as part of the Dorothy DeLay MasterClass Series launched in fall 2020 by Dmitri Berlinsky, artist-teacher and professor of violin at the MSU College of Music. This is the second time Midori has shared technique, explored repertoire, and reflected on her life as an artist and humanitarian through the series names for Dorothy DeLay, an MSU alumna and famed pedagogue. DeLay taught some of the most notable violinists of the late 20th century, including Midori, Berlinsky, and the other artists in the series.
Monday, October 4, 3:00-5:00pm
Rohan De Silva, Piano Chamber Music
If one of the all-time great violinists chooses you as their long-time recital partner, you're definitely doing something right! Such is the case with Rohan De Silva who has worked for years with Itzhak Perlman and many others. He brings his expertise in chamber music to MSU as a visiting artist in the Dorothy DeLay MasterClass Series. De Silva, a faculty member of The Juilliard School of Music, will work with MSU College of Music piano and string students. The event takes place in Cook Recital Hall in the Music Building on MSU's campus and is free and open to the public. To attend in person, please obtain a ticket. The event will also broadcast live on the MSU Livestream channel.
Tuesday, November 16, 2:30-4:30pm
Violin Master Class with Vadim Gluzman
Universally recognized among today’s top performing artists, Vadim Gluzman brings to life the glorious violinistic tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries. Gluzman’s wide repertoire embraces new music and his performances are heard around the world through live broadcasts. The event takes place in Murray Hall in the Billman Music Pavilion of the Music Building on MSU's campus and is free and open to the public. To attend in person, please obtain a ticket. The event will also broadcast live on the MSU Livestream channel.
Friday, December 10, 4:00-6:00pm
Violin Master Class Series
Spring 2021 Semester
Q&A with Itzhak and Toby Perlman
Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to his irrepressible joy for making music. Toby Perlman is Founder of The Perlman Music Program. In addition to her work with The Perlman Music Program, Toby has appeared as a guest on various panels in New York City, speaking not only on behalf of The Perlman Music Program but also as a passionate advocate for the arts and education.
Tuesday, May 4, 4:00-5:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with Gil Shaham
Gil Shaham is one of the foremost violinists of our time; his flawless technique combined with his inimitable warmth and generosity of spirit has solidified his renown as an American master. The Grammy Award-winner, also named Musical America’s “Instrumentalist of the Year,” is sought after throughout the world for concerto appearances with leading orchestras and conductors.
Thursday, April 29, 3:00-5:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with Joseph Swensen
Joseph Swensen is a conductor, violinist and composer. He has won the Leventritt Foundation Sponsorship Award and the Avery Fisher Career Award, and he studied music at the Juilliard School where his teachers included Dorothy DeLay. Swensen is Artistic Director of the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra (Wroclaw), Conductor Emeritus of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada.
Thursday, April 22, 11:00am-1:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with Kolja Blacher
Kolja Blacher studied at Juilliard School of Music in New York with Dorothy DeLay, subsequently with Sander Vegh in Salzburg. From 1993 to 1999, Blacher was the first Concertmaster at Berliner Philharmoniker and from 2003 to 2013 at Lucerne Festival under Claudio Abbado.
Thursday, April 15, 11:00am-1:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with Robert Chen
Robert Chen has been concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since 1999. During his years as concertmaster, he has been featured as soloist with Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez, among others. He gave the CSO premiere of György Ligeti’s Violin Concerto, Elliott Carter’s Violin Concerto and Witold Lutoslawski’s Chain Two, as well as the world premiere of Augusta Read Thomas’s Astral Canticle.
Thursday, April 8, 3:00-5:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with Kurt Sassmannshaus
Kurt Sassmannshaus, violinist, teacher, and conductor, is considered one of today’s preeminent violin pedagogues. Chairman of the String Department at CCM since 1984, he was appointed to the school’s distinguished Dorothy Richard Starling Chair for Classical Violin, a position previously held by the late Dorothy Delay.
Thursday, March 11, 3:00-5:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with Catherine Cho
Catherine Cho is recognized for her remarkable virtuosity, combining technical mastery of her instrument with an extraordinary and distinctive musicality. Praised by The New York Times for her "sublime tone", she has appeared worldwide as soloist with many orchestras and chamber ensembles as well as in recital. Her repertoire ranges from the traditional works by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms to those of Bartók, Korngold and Berg, in addition to music of our time.
Thursday, February 25, 3:00-5:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with Cho-Liang Lin
Cho-Liang Lin was born in Taiwan. A neighbor’s violin studies convinced this 5-year old boy to do the same. At the age twelve, he moved to Sydney to further his studies with Robert Pikler, a student of Jenő Hubay. After playing for Itzhak Perlman in a master class, the 13-year old boy decided that he must study with Mr. Perlman’s teacher, Dorothy DeLay. At the age fifteen, Lin traveled alone to New York and auditioned for the Juilliard School and spent the next six years working with Ms DeLay.
Thursday, February 11, 3:00-5:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with Pinchas Zukerman
With a celebrated career encompassing five decades, Pinchas Zukerman reigns as one of today's most sought after and versatile musicians - violin and viola soloist, conductor, and chamber musician. He is renowned as a virtuoso, admired for the expressive lyricism of his playing, singular beauty of tone, and impeccable musicianship, which can be heard throughout his discography of over 100 albums for which he gained two Grammy® awards and 21 nominations.
Thursday, February 4, 3:00-5:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with Vadim Repin
Repin was born in Novosibirsk in 1971 and began to play the violin at the age of five under the tutelage Zakhar Bron. He won the Gold Medal at the Henryk Wieniawski International Violin Competition in 1982 and has performed with major orchestras across the world. Repin founded and is Artistic Director of the Trans-Siberian Art Festival and is a regular participant at musc festivals throughout Europe and beyond.
Monday, January 11, 11:00am-1:00pm
Violin Master Class Series
Fall 2020 Semester
Virtual Violin Master Class with Midori
Midori is a visionary artist, activist, and educator whose unique career has been dedicated to exploring and building connections between music and the human experience. As a leading concert violinist for over 35 years, Midori regularly transfixes audiences around the world, combining graceful precision and intimate expression.
Thursday, October 15th, 3:15–5:00pm
Virtual Violin Master Class with David Kim
Kim was named Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1999. Born in Carbondale, Illinois in 1963, he started playing the violin at the age of three, began studies with the famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the age of eight, and later received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School.
Thursday, October 22, 4:30–6:00 p.m.
Virtual Violin Master Class with Vadim Gluzman
Universally recognized among today’s top performing artists, Vadim Gluzman brings to life the glorious violinistic tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries. Gluzman’s wide repertoire embraces new music and his performances are heard around the world through live broadcasts.
Thursday, October 29, 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Virtual Violin Master Class with Anne Akiko Meyers
Meyers is one of today’s most internationally renowned and respected classical musicians. She has dramatically expanded the modern violin repertoire with significant new commissions and has made 37 recordings, many of them debuting at #1 on the Billboard charts and becoming staples of classical music radio stations.
Thursday, November 5, 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Virtual Violin Master Class with Shlomo Mintz
Mintz is considered by colleagues, audiences, and critics as one of the foremost violinists of our time, esteemed for his impeccable musicianship, stylistic versatility, and commanding technique. He has long been acclaimed as a celebrated guest artist with many of the great orchestras and conductors on the international stage and continues to enchant audiences with his playing.
Thursday, November 12, 3:00–4:30 p.m.
Virtual Violin Master Class with Philippe Quint
Quint is a multi-Grammy Award nominee and is internationally recognized for his unique and insightful approach to standard repertoire, championing and rediscovering neglected repertoire and embarking on imaginative, exciting journeys of explorations and collaborations with artists of different genres.
Thursday, November 19, 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Virtual Violin Master Class with Masao Kawasaki
Kawasaki is professor of violin/viola at the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music where he is the chair of the String Department. He is also a member of the violin/viola faculties of The Juilliard School, the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music and the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Thursday, December 3, 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Virtual Violin Master Class with Chee-Yun
Chee-Yun has performed with many of the world's foremost orchestras and conductors. Orchestral highlights include her tours of the United States with the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas and Japan with the NHK Symphony, and the Seoul Philharmonic conducted by Myung-Whun Chung.
Thursday, December 10, 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Virtual Violin Master Class with Dmitri Berlinsky
MSU Professor of Violin and leader of the Dorothy DeLay Master Class Series, Berlinsky arrived on the international scene as the youngest winner in the history of the Paganini International Violin Competition in Genoa, Italy. This victory led to his performance on Nicolo Paganini's own Guarneri del Gesú instrument, a privilege shared by only a handful of artists in history.
Thursday, December 17, 3:00–5:00 p.m.
