Hosted in conjunction with the Jax Cello Workshop January 22nd to 23rd, 2027, the NEW Violin Workshop includes master classes, group classes, and lessons for all students that attend. Early-bird pricing available through January 4th, 2027 and the registration link can be found here:
- Payment through the Payment Page
- Enter student details (be sure to specify instrument)
Please contact us if you have questions about the registration process.
Faculty
Desirée Ruhstrat
Desirée Ruhstrat made her professional debut at the age of twelve with Lukas Foss and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and at age 16, she was invited by Sir George Solti to perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. Ms. Ruhstrat has appeared as a soloist with orchestras throughout the world, including the Berlin Radio Symphony, Radio Suisse Romande, Gottingen Symphony, Philharmonia Da Camera, Orchestra Symphonica Auguescalientes, Colorado Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Concerto Soloists Of Philadelphia, Utah Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Debut Orchestra of Los Angeles, and National Repertory Orchestra. She has worked with such renowned conductors as Eric Kunzel, Max Rudolph, William Smith, Rico Saccani, Brian Priestman, Mats Liljefors among others. Ms. Ruhstrat has won numerous awards including first prize at the National Young Musicians Debut Competition in Los Angeles, where she was also lauded a special award for a young performer with extraordinary talent. She became the youngest prizewinner at Switzerland’s Tibor Varga International Competition and also won the award for best interpretation of the commissioned contemporary composition. She went on to earn top prizes at the Carl Flesch, Julius Stulberg, and the Mozart Festival Violin Competitions. Ms. Ruhstrat’s distinguished career as a chamber musician includes performances throughout the US, South America, Europe and Asia and multiple recordings on the Cedille label as a member of the 2016 GRAMMY nominated Lincoln Trio.
Melissa Barrett
Melissa Barrett was the Associate Concertmaster of the Jacksonville Symphony for thirty five years, and acting Concertmaster for 4. She holds degrees in violin performance from Michigan State University and the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Walter Verdehr and Sylvia Rosenberg. Her chamber music coaches include the Juilliard Quartet, Franco Gulli, Raphael Druian, Gyorgy Sebok, and Gunther Schuller. Prior to her tenure with the Jacksonville Symphony, Melissa spent one season performing in the Savannah Symphony. She was also on the full time faculty at Sam Houston State University for five years, where she performed in the faculty piano trio and the Houston Grand Opera orchestra. She has performed in numerous summer festivals, including Aspen, Boulder, Lake George Opera, Sandpoint, Banff, and Sarasota. Melissa was a member of Chamber music Hilton head for eight seasons, and founded the Lantana Piano trio. Melissa is an adjunct faculty member at the University of North Florida and has a home studio, where she enjoys mentoring students on violin, chamber music, and orchestral repertoire.
Aurica Duca
A native of the Republic of Moldova, Aurica Duca began violin at age seven. Duca has participated in various international competitions, such as Remember Enescu and Kloster Schöntal. She is the first prize winner of the Cornelia Bronzetti Violin Competition and the International Violin Competition of Brasov. In 2000, she was awarded the Grand Prix winner at the Paul Constantinescu International Competition in Romania. Other awards include the Mayor’s Scholarship of Chișinău, Moldova and the prestigious scholarship from the Foundation of Beneficence.
In 2006, Duca joined the violin section of the Jacksonville Symphony as one of the orchestra’s youngest players. In the fall of 2015, she was appointed Principal Second Violin. She is also the concertmaster of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, a position she has held since 2013.
Duca has performed with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and has had solo engagements with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the National Philharmonic of Chișinău and the National Youth Orchestra in Holland. She has studied at the A. Casella Conservatory in Laquila, Italy and at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Felix Ayo. Her summer festival credits include Spoleto Festival USA, Spoleto Festival Italy, the St. Augustine Music Festival and is featured in Festival Mozaic’s Chamber Music Series in San Luis Obispo, California every summer.
Expanding her interest beyond classical music, Duca toured internationally with GRAMMY® Award winning jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, including an annual holiday residency at New York’s Blue Note jazz club from 2010-2012. In 2014, she co-founded the Lawson ensemble along with violist/violinist Clinton Dewing and cellist Nick Curry. The Lawson Ensemble is currently in residence at the University of North Florida.
Duca is married to violinist Clinton Dewing and has three daughters Siena, Nola and Soma.
Marguerite Richardson
Marguerite Richardson holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, a Master of Music degree from the University of South Carolina, and a Doctor of Music in Music Performance degree from The Florida State University. Formerly Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Studies at Jacksonville University (JU), Dr. Richardson currently is Visiting Instructor of Music in Conducting at the University of North Florida (UNF) and serves as conductor of the UNF Orchestra. Dr. Richardson performs as violinist in the Kinne Trio with Dr. Shannon Lockwood, ‘cello and Dr. Scott Watkins, piano. The group’s debut recording features works by composers Clara Schumann and Amy Beach (available on Amazon). In February of 2017, Dr. Richardson made her international conducting début with the Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra in a series of performances in Manchester, England. She presented at the National Conference of the College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) in 2014, 2017, 2019, 2024, and 2025, and served as President of CODA in 2022-2023, hosting the 2023 CODA National Conference in Jacksonville, Florida.
Known around the state of Florida as an enthusiastic educator, Dr. Richardson presented at the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) State Conference in 2018, and conducted a performance of the Jacksonville University Orchestra at the Florida Orchestra Association (FOA)/Florida American String Teachers Association (FLASTA) Fall Professional Development Conference as the invited ensemble for 2018. Her presentation at the 2023 FOA/FLASTA Fall Conference titled The Geometry of Intonation: Shaping the Approach to the Fingerboard reflects her interest in the integration of mathematical concepts to string teaching. Dr. Richardson has conducted the 9th/10th Grade Honors Orchestra for Hillsborough County, the FSU Philharmonia, the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra, and, in 2025, conducted the All State 9th-12th Grade Honors Orchestra at the state FMEA Conference. Dr. Richardson has been conductor of the Civic Orchestra of Jacksonville since the fall of 2016, a community ensemble which serves northeast Florida by providing free access to symphonic music at venues throughout the Jacksonville area. Since 2017 she has served as co-director of the Summer Chamber Music Intensive, along with Shannon Lockwood and Scott Watkins. In 2012 and 2014, Dr. Richardson was a Visiting Foreign Scholar at Beifang University (Yin Chuan, China) where she presented solo recitals, taught master classes and private lessons, and worked with the Beifang University Orchestra. Dr. Richardson previously taught at the University of North Florida, where she began the string program and began the University of North Florida Orchestra while at the time a full-time member of the Jacksonville Symphony as a violinist.
David Song
David Hwan-Min Song, a native of Jeon-Ju, South Korea, commenced his violin studies at the age of 10. He trained at the Jeonju Fine Arts Middle School under the guidance of Seung-Gu Baek before relocating to the United States in 2002. Since that time, he has engaged in extensive performances as an orchestral, chamber, and solo violinist. He held the position of Concertmaster for the Stetson University Symphony Orchestra, Baylor University Symphony Orchestra, and the Florida All-State Orchestra for several years, in addition to serving as Concertmaster for the All-County Orchestra and the Southwest Florida Youth Orchestra.
In 2003, Mr. Song made his solo debut with the Southwest Florida Youth Orchestra, conducted by Dr. David Eccles, and has also performed as a soloist with the Southwest Symphony Orchestra under Paul Naddler, the Ocala Symphony, and the Edison State College Orchestra under Dr. Daniel Hill. Furthermore, Song was featured as a soloist on NPR’s program From The Top, where he performed a movement from Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with Christopher O’Reilly. In 2005, he was chosen to perform with the London Symphony during the Florida International Festival held in Daytona Beach, Florida.
In April 2011, David Hwan-Min Song was a featured guest soloist, performing Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy as the First Prize Winner of the Southwest Florida Symphony Young Artist Competition, with Michael Hall as conductor.
Mr. Song was a full scholarship recipient under the internationally acclaimed Routa Kroumovitch-Gomez at Stetson University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance. He also received a scholarship from Dr. Bruce Berg at Baylor University, where he pursued a Master of Music in Violin Performance.
Currently, David Hwan-Min Song serves as the concertmaster for the Union Symphony and is the first violinist for the Savannah Philharmonic. He also performs with the Jacksonville Symphony and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he holds the position of Assistant Conductor for the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestras.
Victoria Stjerna
Victoria Stjerna is a Swedish award winning concert violinist. She has won numerous awards in international competitions in Sweden, Denmark and Hungary. She is a frequently invited guest concertmaster, leader and chamber musician.
She is one of the founding members of the distinguished European Chamberorchestra O/Modernt, touring frequently around Europe. Victoria has performed at prestigious halls such as the Musikverein Vienna, Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall with orchestras like the Stockholm Philharmonics, Swedish Radio Orchestra and the Gothenburg Symphony and continues to explore a broad repertoire in chamber music which is her passion. She recently released a CD with her Piano Trio playing music by the Swedish composer Laura Netzel.
Lee Taylor
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Lee Taylor enjoys a varied musical career involving performance, education, and administration. Lee was a founding member of Amati Chamber Music and a long-time member of the Atlanta Opera and Ballet Orchestras. She has performed with the Alabama Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Chamber Music Quad Cities, and Colorado Music Festival.
As a private teacher, Lee maintains an active home studio. Along with her husband, Greg Sauer, Lee directs the LAMP Chamber Players, an afterschool chamber music program in Tallahassee. Former students have gone on to study violin and viola performance at Oberlin Conservatory, Lawrence University, FSU, and Boston University. Lee has taught at Ursus String Camp at the University of Tennessee, Oklahoma Arts Summer Institute, and the Atlanta Chamber Music Festival. As an administrator, Lee has been on staff at the Cincinnati Young Artists Chamber Music Festival and Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival.
In 2020, Lee joined forces with Dr. Shannon Thomas to establish MusicBridges Tallahassee. As Co-Artistic Directors, they introduce pre-K students in Title I schools to the violin with a curriculum that strengthens literacy skills and promotes early music education: www.musicbridgestallahassee.org/
Lee received her Bachelor’s in Violin Performance at the University of Michigan as a student of Paul Kantor.
Corina Weinmair
Corina Weinmair is a young violinist who loves to share her passion for performing various styles of music. Her attendance at the Meadowmount School of Music, Brevard Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival and other festivals brought her into contact with many renowned teachers from around the world. There she also performed as a soloist and concertmaster. Corina received her undergraduate degree in violin performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She went on to complete a Master’s degree at the University of North Florida, where she discovered her passion for educating while working as a teaching assistant.
After university, Corina established the Strings Music Program at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville. There she emphasizes on giving her students a strong foundation in both string technique and musicianship as well as to expand their overall mental capability. To achieve this, she uses various teaching techniques to meet each student’s individual needs, spurring on the young artist’s personal development through their instrument. In 2023, Corina was invited as a guest artist and soloist at the Palotti Summer Festival in Belize. During her time there, she conducted masterclasses and group classes for students as well as teachers.
Corina has performed as an orchestral, chamber and soloist musician in the United States as well as Germany, France, Spain, Israel, Romania, Russia, Colombia and Belize. She has played in various ensembles alongside renowned musicians such as Lynn Harrell, the Shanghai Quartet and the Lawnson Ensemble, founded by Dr. Nick Curry. At times she also plays with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Coastal Symphony and Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.
Believing that music can bridge cultures, heal souls and reconcile generations, Corina is committed to bring together musicians from different backgrounds. Thus she was a principal founder and leader of the Charlotte Slavic Children’s Choir and Orchestra in North Carolina, as well as the Living Stream Orchestra in Florida. Together with her brother David and their friend Ben, Corina initiated ‘Heart of Music’, a non-profit that offers performance opportunities for students of all ages. The organization aims to inspire and mentor young musicians to achieve excellence in music. Corina appreciates fast cars, good coffee and loves to travel with her husband Wolfgang.
Schedule
The official 2027 schedule is emailed to registrants the week of the event.
The workshop involves master classes, mini lessons and group classes. Students get a mini lesson each day that they are on campus, and group classes are organized by experience and include adult cellists. In addition to the cello technique classes, there are multiple supplemental classes classes including body movement, jazz bass lines and improvisation, Suzuki book play-throughs and rhythm.
We have a positive atmosphere that encourages and inspires high level learning. Students can attend one or two days. Lunch is provided on Saturday and participants get a terrific looking t-shirt!
sample schedule:
Friday
- 11am-12pm Registration
- 12pm Group Meeting
- 12:30-6pm Lessons & Classes
- 6pm-7:30pm Advanced Cello Choir Rehearsal (invitation only) and More Violin/Viola Lessons
Saturday
- 9am-12pm Lessons & Classes
- 12pm Lunch
- 1pm-6:00pm Lessons & Classes
- 6pm Advanced Cello Choir Performance (all are encouraged to attend)
Saturday
- 3pm Galvin Cello Quartet Concert (FREE concert at St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Jacksonville Beach)
We hope you join us for the NEW 2027 Violin and Viola Workshop in Jacksonville, Florida!
The Jacksonville Cello Workshop 