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2027 Master Class Schedule

All Master Classes will take place in E270

Thursday, February 25

10:00-11:00 AM - Collegiate Double Bass

Nicholas Walker is a double bassist, Professor of Music at the University of Michigan, Fulbright Scholar, and former President/Artistic Director of the International Society of Bassists. A versatile performer and composer, he is principal bass of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and appears with leading ensembles internationally. He holds degrees from Rice University, the Nadia Boulanger Conservatoire de Paris, and Stony Brook University (DMA, 2004). He teaches at Domaine Forget, and previously at Ithaca College.

12:30-1:30 PM - Collegiate Cello

Recently nominated for the Oskar Morawetz Award for Excellence in Music Performance, Canadian-American cellist Denise Djokic has earned recognition across the globe as a soloist, chamber musician and educator. Denise served on the faculty of the School of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2021-2025, where she was recognized for excellence in teaching by the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. In 2025, she was appointed to the faculty of the Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montréal, Québec.

2:00-3:00 PM - Collegiate Viola

Erika Eckert has been viola professor at the University of Colorado Boulder since 1994. This past summer she taught at Madeline Island Chamber Music and Interlochen Viola Intensive. As co-founder and former member of the Cavani String Quartet, Eckert continues to prioritize chamber music performing and coaching. Her primary viola mentor, Heidi Castleman, remains an invaluable inspiration in her studio teaching. November to December 2025 Eckert served as an American Viola Society Artist in Residence.

3:30-4:30 PM - Collegiate Violin

Danielle Belen is Professor of Violin at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Winner of the 2008 Sphinx Competition, Ms. Belen has appeared as a soloist with the Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Nashville and San Francisco Symphonies, the Boston Pops, and the Florida and Cleveland Orchestras. She is a graduate of the USC Thornton School of Music and the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles. Her passion for pedagogy can be seen in her vibrant and unique teaching style. Ms. Belen plays on a violin made in Mantua, Italy by Stefano Scarampella.

Friday, February 26

8:30-9:30 AM - All-Level Chamber Music

Ka Wai Yu is Associate Professor of Music at Utah Tech University where he teaches cello and chamber music. He regularly presents in the conferences of ASTA and NAfME, and is a board member of Utah ASTA. Currently the Principal Cellist of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Yu is a founding member of the Zion Trio and Cosmopolitan Baroque. He holds degrees from University of Illinois, Indiana University, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

10:00-11:00 AM - Pre-Collegiate Double Bass

Described as a "masterful" artist, protean bassist Michael T. Geib defies musical boundaries. A true musical chameleon, he thrives in any setting—empowering bassists to master all styles, rooted in his doctoral research on double bass improvisation. Beyond his work as a Clemson Artist in Residence and UCO Professor, he is a Grammy Voting Member and featured artist for D'Addario, KRUTZ Strings, and Onyx Lane.

12:30-1:30 PM - Pre-Collegiate Cello

Praised for her “beautifully full and lyrically strong tone” by Gramophone Magazine, Meredith Blecha-Wells is a sought-after performer and instructor. She has played throughout much of the United States, Europe, Australia, South America, and Asia. A passionate pedagogue, Dr. Blecha-Wells serves on the faculty at Colorado State University. She received a bachelor's and master's degree in Cello Performance from Indiana University, studying under Janos Starker, and a DMA from the Eastman School of Music.

2:00-3:00 PM - Pre-Collegiate Viola

Derek Reeves is Principal Violist of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Violist of The Freimann Quartet. He teaches violin and viola at Purdue Fort Wayne, and has taught master classes at Juilliard, Ball State and is a member of the Brevard Music Center viola faculty. He is the founder of an El Sistema based string program in Fort Wayne’s “Club O” program, which now includes three Title 1 schools.

3:30-4:30 PM - Pre-Collegiate Violin

Violinist William Terwilliger has performed throughout the US and on six continents. As Professor of Violin at USC Columbia since 1999, he has given master classes and clinics across the globe and has presented at numerous national conferences of ASTA, MTNA, and CMS. With pianist Andrew Cooperstock, he has recorded critically-acclaimed CDs of Aaron Copland, Lowell Liebermann, Paul Schoenfield, Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim on the Azica, Albany, Naxosbels.

Saturday, February 27

10:00-11:00 AM - All-Level Eclectic Styles

The acclaimed American concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine thrills international audiences with her dazzling technique and lustrous tone. With an infectious joy in music-making and a passion for connecting historical research to performance, Pine transforms audiences’ experiences of classical music. She is a leading interpreter of the great classical masterworks and of important contemporary music.