Violin

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Welcome to the violin studio at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music!

Our violin students fill our hallways, classrooms, ensembles, stages, local community and beyond with fresh energy, whimsical curiosity and vibrant music. Each studio is filled with creative thinkers who bring a diverse range of interests to their musicianship. Partnerships, collaborations and project design involving music education, visual arts, drama, dance, music technology and engineering naturally blossom from the interdisciplinary spirit our violin students cherish. We design weekly studio classes and performance classes in Grusin Music Hall to embrace early, new and world styles of music, focusing on honing our students’ skills in fluid technique, chamber music, musicians’ wellness, imaginative improvisation and nuanced ensemble playing. We aim to uphold a spirited learning environment filled with inspiration, integrity, curiosity, warmth and fun!

Edward Dusinberre

As first violinist of the Takács Quartet, Edward Dusinberre has won a Grammy and awards from Gramophone Magazine, the Japanese Recording Academy, Chamber Music America and the Royal Philharmonic Society. Combining an international career with his longstanding appointment as artist-in-residence at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music, Dusinberre performs as a member of the Takács Quartet in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and Asia, and is an Associate Artist at London’s Wigmore Hall. Dusinberre’s first book‚ Beethoven for a Later Age: The Journey of a String Quartet—melds music history and memoir to illuminate the circumstances surrounding the composition of Beethoven’s quartets and the Takács Quartet’s experiences playing this music. For this work, Dusinberre won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s 2016 Creative Communication Award: “Few have told so well of the musician’s life, or offered such illuminating insights to players and listeners alike.” MORE

Alex Gonzalez

Described by the Viborg Folkeblad as a “true virtuoso ... that left the audience almost breathless,” violinist Alex Gonzalez enjoys a versatile career as a chamber musician, ensemble leader and educator. An active chamber musician, Gonzalez has enjoyed performances at Carnegie Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the National Gallery of Art, Oxford University, Sitka Music Festival and both the Thy Chamber Music Festival and Autumn Tour. His performances have been aired on BBC Radio 3, WQXR and the SkyArts Television network. Recent solo appearances include performances at the Caramoor Center, the Newport Classical Music Festival and with the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra. Gonzalez is a member of The Knights and has performed with the ensemble in a variety of roles including as soloist, chamber musician and within the ensemble on international tours and recordings. Gonzalez is also a member of the Sphinx Virtuosi where he currently plays as concertmaster and tours extensively with the group throughout the country and abroad. He can be heard on the ensemble’s debut album titled “Songs of Our Times,” released in 2023 on the Deutsche Grammophon label. MORE

Harumi Rhodes

Harumi Rhodes is the second violinist of the internationally renowned Takács Quartet, performing 80 concerts a year worldwide. Acclaimed by The New York Times as a “deeply expressive violinist,” Rhodes has gained recognition as a multifaceted musician with a distinctive musical voice. She is Associate Professor of Violin, Artist in Residence and Ralph E. and Barbara L. Christoffersen Faculty Fellow at the University of Colorado Boulder. Rhodes combines her performing career with a passionate commitment to guiding young instrumentalists, composers and chamber ensembles. Rhodes has a vision for commissioning and programming contemporary music: Her partnerships with composers of today have resulted in over 100 premieres. This season, Clarice Assad wrote a three-movement suite for violin and piano—“Constelación”—that she recorded with Rhodes for Yarlung Records. With composer Gabriela Lena Frank, Rhodes co-directed the inaugural 2021-2022 season of the Virtual Artist Partnership Program (VAPP). This collaboration between the Rhodes violin studio at the CU Boulder College of Music and Gabriela Lena Frank’s Creative Academy of Music (GLFCAM) resulted in eight new solo works for violin. Jungyoon Wie composed a new violin duo—“Dan Poong”—for Rhodes and Edward Dusinberre. MORE

Andrea Segar

Violinist Andrea Segar, praised for her “sultry sound and chops” by San Francisco Classical Voice, enjoys a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician and educator. As a soloist, Segar has appeared with ensembles across the country including the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Portland Symphony, Arizona Musicfest Orchestra, Oakland East Bay Symphony, ProArt Symphony and the New England Conservatory Bach Ensemble. She has performed at venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Jordan Hall in Boston. Segar’s love for early 20th-century violin and piano music led to her ongoing recital series, “The Decade Project.” She has performed recitals in the United States, United Kingdom and Mexico. Segar’s competition awards include first prizes in the Washington International String Competition and the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Solo Competition. Her performances have aired on NPR’s Performance Today and classical radio stations nationwide. MORE