Studio Highlights

The Lawrence violin studios offer a variety of experiences for students, including masterclasses, unique world music concerts, and the opportunity to participate in numerous ensembles, in addition to the world-class classical training by our esteemed faculty.  In the past, Lawrence students have performed in Irish, French-Canadian, and bluegrass fiddle groups, learned traditional ragas from the northern part of India, created an early music ensemble on Baroque style instruments, and experienced folk songs from Scandanavia on the Hardanger fiddle.  Other performances and masterclasses include:

...and more!

Vidya Dengle

Vidya DengleVidya Dengle is a renowned North Indian classical violinist.  Besides being a regular performer on the All India Radio giving violin concerts, she has also played at a number of prestigious festivals in India. She has given concerts in Singapore, the UAE, the Sultanate of Oman, the USA, and France at a number of colleges, universities, and cultural groups. She has conducted workshops in Hindustani Classical music at various colleges in the USA in her four visits to that country since 1997. She has been honoured as the Guru at the Lalit Kala Kendra at Pune University and continues to impart traditional knowledge to a selected few disciples. At Lawrence, Dengle demonstrated the technique of Hindustani classical music to the students, and had them participate with her on the floor of Harper Hall, learning traditional ragas by ear.

Turtle Island String Quartet

Turtle Island String Quartet

Through their exploration of jazz, classical and world music styles, the Turtle Island Quartet has taken audiences on journeys through many musical genres, eras and places, including the American landscape, Latin America, Europe and India.

The two-time Grammy Award-winning quartet latest trip ventures into Electric Ladyland, tackling works by legendary guitarist, songwriter and performer Jimi Hendrix. “Have You Ever Been…?” also explores compositions reflective of, and inspired by, Hendrix’s music, including TIQ founder David Balakrishnan’s new composition “Tree of Life.”

Another unique element of Turtle Island is their revival of venerable improvisational and compositional chamber traditions that have not been explored by string players for nearly 200 years. At the time of Haydn’s apocryphal creation of the string quartet form, musicians were more akin to today’s saxophonists and keyboard masters of the jazz and pop world, i.e., improvisers, composers, and arrangers. Each Turtle Island member is accomplished in these areas of expertise as well as having extensive conservatory training.

As Turtle Island members continue to refine their skills through the development of repertory by some of today’s cutting edge composers, through performances and recordings with major symphonic ensembles, and through a determined educational commitment, members refine their skills through the development of repertory by some of today’s cutting edge composers, through performances and recordings with major symphonic ensembles, and through a determined educational commitment, the Turtle Island Quartet stakes its claim as the quintessential ‘New World’ string quartet of the 21st century.

Karin Loberg Code, Harding Fiddle

Karin Loberg CodeDescribed as one of America’s “foremost Norwegian Harding fiddlers” in Norway’s premiere folk music journal, Folkemusikk, Karin Loberg Code has lived in Norway three years and has been awarded several grants, including ones from the Norway-America Association, American-Scandinavian Foundation and the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, for intensive study of the hardingfele. While in Norway she played by invitation for several regular folk dance groups in Oslo, performed at national and regional competitions, appeared on Norwegian State Radio and Radio Norway International, and performed for dance courses, concerts and other special events.
 

Concerto Competition Winners

Sofie Yang, '16, recently was a co-winner of the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra concerto competition.  She performed Sibelius' extremely technical and lyrical Violin Concerto in D minor with the Symphony Orchestra on January 23, 2016.