Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp
As part of the String Department you will join a longstanding tradition of excellence. Learn from faculty that draw from wide-ranging experiences as soloists, pedagogues, chamber musicians, and orchestral musicians. Take a lesson with our internationally renowned faculty. Get a chamber music coaching with the Grammy award-winning Muir Quartet. Prep for your orchestra auditions with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Whatever path you choose, the String Department offers the optimal training ground for students seeking meaningful careers as orchestral and chamber musicians, soloists, teachers, and pedagogues.
String Faculty
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Heather Braun
Lecturer in Music, Violin; Faculty Coach, String Quartet Workshop, BU Tanglewood Institute
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Bayla Keyes
Associate Professor, Violin
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Minju Kim
Assistant Professor of Violin
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Lucia Lin
Professor of Music, Violin
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Klaudia Szlachta
Lecturer in Music, Violin; Director, Violin Workshop, BU Tanglewood Institute
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Peter Zazofsky
Professor of Music, Violin and Chamber Music; Co-Director, String Quartet Workshop, BU Tanglewood Institute
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Steven Ansell
Associate Professor of Music, Viola
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Daniel Doña
Senior Lecturer in Music, Viola; Director of Undergraduate Studies; Coordinator, String Chamber Music
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Danny Kim
Lecturer in Music, Viola
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Michelle LaCourse
Associate Professor of Music, Viola; Chair, String Department; Director, Viola Workshop, BU Tanglewood Institute


Program of Study
Applied Study
String faculty members provide weekly private lessons for all music majors whose principal instrument is violin, viola, cello, double bass, or harp. Regularly scheduled string department recitals present students in a formal performance setting outside of their required degree recitals. An annual series of guest masterclasses provides students contact with a variety of distinguished artist-teachers and the opportunity to benefit from the insights and approaches of many pedagogical styles.
String Courses
The String Department offers courses in:
String Pedagogy: Covering teaching methods and materials, as well as literature concerned with leading pedagogical approaches.
Solo Literature: Survey of important recital and concerto repertoire from the Baroque to the present.
Chamber Music Literature: Survey of the vast and important string chamber music repertoire from the Baroque to the present.
Orchestral Studies
For Violin, Viola, Cello, and Bass
With 9 faculty members playing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, BU students learn from some the best orchestral players in the country. Our students focus on mastering the standard orchestral excerpts and learn to prepare for the complete orchestral experience through rep readings and repeated mock-auditions.
BU maintains both a symphony orchestra and a chamber orchestra where students continuously perform both new and standard masterpieces as well as play in the pit for our superb opera productions.
Oh, and about that world-class symphony next door? You can go for free. Being exposed to great performances is crucial to growing as an artist. With the BSO College Card you will gain access to free concerts and open rehearsals at the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Chamber Music
BU School of Music is dedicated to the study of chamber music at all levels. The String Department runs a large chamber music program, coordinated and coached by members of the Muir Quartet (in-residence at Boston University), and other string faculty members, our program instills the professional skills and entrepreneurial spirit necessary to have chamber music be a meaningful part of your career.
A series of masterclasses and open rehearsals presented by the Muir Quartet gives chamber groups the opportunity to explore further rehearsal techniques and performance ideas in a public setting.
Muir Quartet
The Muir String Quartet, in residence at BU since 1983, has long been acknowledged as one of the world’s most powerful and insightful ensembles, distinguishing itself among audiences and critics with its “exhilarating involvement” (Boston Globe), “impeccable voicing and intonation” (San Francisco Examiner), and “unbridled musicality” (American Record Guide).
The Muir Quartet presents a series of open rehearsals giving chamber groups the opportunity to explore further rehearsal techniques and performance ideas. As part of their residency the Muir Quartet presents an annual series of concerts on campus in addition to their regular off-campus concert schedule.

Audition Requirements
Thinking of applying? Find out more about prescreening, repertoire, and audition details by instrument.


Learn more about DMA in Performance

Performance Opportunities
During the course of their studies, students participate in a range of performance opportunities at a variety of venues at Boston University, in the city of Boston, and beyond. With hundreds of performances per year at the School of Music, students are always just a few steps from taking the stage. From recitals to orchestra concerts, students perform regularly including annual performances at Symphony Hall in Boston and Carnegie Hall in New York City.
- BU Symphony Orchestra
- BU Chamber Orchestra
- Opera Orchestra
- Chamber Music
- Annual Bach Competition
- Annual Soloists’ Competition
- BU Baroque Orchestra
Notable Alumni
Zino Bogachek,
Member of Kennedy Center/Washington Opera Orchestra
Stephanie (Larsen) Cathcart,
Member of Kansas City Symphony, formerly member of Utah Symphony
Garrett Fischbach,
Member of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Mannes School of Music faculty member
Daniel Han,
Member of Philadelphia Orchestra, formerly member of Minnesota Orchestra and Fort Worth Symphony
Mayumi Hasegawa,
Member of Kyoto Symphony Orchestra
Yevgeny Kutik,
Soloist and recording artist – appearances with orchestras throughout the USA, Germany, and the Czech Republic
ZhongLing Lee,
Winner of the Dan David Prize in the Humanities, winner of Harvard Musical Association’s Arthur Foote Award
Ikuko Mizuno,
Member of BSO, BU faculty member
Dainius Puodziukas,
VMU Academy of Music- Kaunas (Lithuania) faculty member, National M.K.Čiurlionis School of Arts – Vilnius faculty and Head of String Dept, member of Kremerata Baltica Orchestra, former Concertmaster of Lithuanian National Opera
Ari Streisfeld,
Member of JACK quartet, touring and recording artist
Na Sun,
Member of New York Philharmonic
Mira Wang,
Touring and recording artist – soloist with orchestras throughout the world, first prize winner of Geneva International Competition
Mark Holloway,
Member of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Music from Marlboro, Orpheus, substitute with New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, and the American Symphony (guest Principal Violist), Boston Chamber Music Society, the ECCE (East Coast Contemporary Ensemble), the Jupiter Chamber Players, and 92nd Street Y Chamber Music
Katrin Meidel,
Ball State University School of Music faculty member
Esther Nahm,
Assistant Principal of Richmond Symphony
David Nicastro,
Member of Philadelphia Orchestra
Savio Santoro,
Federal University of Pernambuco faculty member, frequent soloist with orchestras in Brazil
Mihail Jojatu,
Member of BSO, BU faculty member, Longy School of Music faculty member, member of Boston Cello Quartet
Alexandre Lecarme,
Member of BSO, member of Boston Cello Quartet
Nina Lee,
Member of Brentano Quartet, touring and recording artist, Yale School of Music faculty member
Ira Gold,
Member of National Symphony Orchestra, Peabody Conservatory faculty member
Brandon Mason,
Kansas City Symphony
Brian Perry,
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Nicky Schwartz,
Member of Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, winner of Julius Stulberg Competition
Todd Seeber,
Member of Boston Symphony Orchestra, Faculty Boston University and New England Conservatory
Typer Shephard,
Principal, Welsh National Opera
Andrew Stalker,
Copenhagen Philharmonic
Tristan Sutton,
Assistant Principal, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Thomas Van Dyke,
Member of Boston Symphony Orchestra, Faculty Boston University
Max Zeugner,
Member of New York Philharmonic

Next Steps for Applicants
The best way to determine if BU is right for you is to explore our admission requirements, financial tools, and resources to determine if the program is the right match.
Reach out to Graduate Admissions at visitSOM@bu.edu with any questions along the way or to request information. We are happy to discuss your educational interests and career goals.