Violin Bootcamp

Matt Richardson is a Freelance Violinist/Violist and teacher in the DC Metropolitan area. He frequently performs with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, The National Philharmonic, the New Orchestra of Washington, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, The Williamsburg Symphony, Maryland Lyric Opera, the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, among others. Other orchestral experience includes performances with the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, the Virginia Opera, Opera on the James, the Mark Morris Dance Company, the International Chamber Orchestra of Washington, the Castleton Festival, the Cathedral Choral Society Orchestra, the Apollo Orchestra, and the American Festival Pops Orchestra.  A frequent chamber musician, Matt is also a founding member of the 9th Street Chamber Music, a new chamber music organization based in the Northern VA area. He can be found performing in numerous DC venues including, The Kennedy Center Concert Hall and Millennium Stage, The Washington National Cathedral, The Music Center at Strathmore, The Lyceum in Old Town Alexandria, The Washington Masonic Memorial, The Church of the Holy City (DC) and many others.

Additionally, Matthew has been an active violin teacher and clinician in the Northern Virginia area since 2007, maintaining a private studio out of his home in Centreville, VA. His students have gone to rank highly in all levels of the American Youth Philharmonic orchestras, the Mclean Youth Orchestra, and the 9th Street Chamber Music String Quartet Intensive program, as well as leading sections in the Northern Virginia and North Central Virginia Senior Regional Orchestras, and the Virginia All-State Orchestra. He has also served on the faculty of the Corcoran Chamber Music Institute at George Washington University since 2014, and the GMU Ovations Summer Strings Academy since 2009. Matt’s primary teachers include Peter Haase, Zino Bogachek, Karen Johnson, Weigang Li, and Joseph Wargo.

Andrew Juola is an active performer in the DC Metropolitan area. He performs with the Washington Concert Opera’s first violin section, the Tysons-Mclean Orchestra, and the Arlington Philharmonic as both a first and second violinist. He freelances with various other ensembles as both a violinist and violist.

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Music in performance from George Mason University and a Master’s of Music from the University of Maryland. He considers Peter Haase and James Stern to be his most influential teachers. Throughout his formal studies, Andrew attended and performed at collegiate chamber music and orchestral festivals including the National Orchestral Institute, Bowdoin International Music Festival, the National Music Festival, and the Orfeo Music Festival in Vipiteno, Italy.

Andrew has taught privately for six years and has extensive experience coaching chamber ensembles and sectionals. Through the use of the Suzuki method, the teachings of Paul Rolland, and Alexander Technique, he wants his students to discover a technique with which they can project their musical ideas through their instruments. Andrew’s students have auditioned successfully for collegiate programs in music as well as in district and regional events at the pre-college level on violin and viola.

Susanna Klein is Associate Professor of Violin and Coordinator of Strings at her alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University. Originally from Stuttgart, Germany, she has enjoyed a varied career as a violinist, educator and innovator. She has performed in orchestra and chamber music settings in Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and Israel,as well as throughout the United States. A self-described practice maven, Ms. Klein researches technology and musician’s practice habits. She is the author of the acclaimed Practizma Practice Journal. In 2017 her work was funded through a VCU Presidential Grant, the University’s most prestigious research award. Ms. Klein regularly presents workshops on injury prevention, tech-informed practice and practice psychology at Colleges and conferences. Her work has been featured in The Strad, Strings Magazine, Instrumentalist Magazine, Chamber Music America Magazine, and on National Geographic Instagram. She is the creator of the Clipza App and the Practice Blitz YouTube Channel. You can look up her practice tips at practizma.com.