Group Classes
Violin Instructors
SUN JOO LEE
VIOLIN AND VIOLA INSTRUCTOR
A lifelong lover of music, Sun Joo Lee started playing violin at six years old in Seoul, South Korea, before coming to the U.S. at the age of 17. Her extensive orchestral experience includes serving as concertmaster for the Chicago Covenant Presbyterian Church Orchestra and violinist for the Chicago College of Performing Arts and Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, to name a few. Her chamber music experience includes violinist roles with the Chicago College of Performing Arts and Music Academy of Chicago.
Before receiving a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from the University of Alabama, Sun attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts and played in the Alabama Youth Symphony Orchestra, where she was the 2001 winner of the concerto competition. While earning a Master of Music in Violin Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, she was a violinist at the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she worked with conductor Cliff Colnot. She has also studied with Patrick Rafferty, Daniel Szasz, Peter Rovit, Jenny Grégoire, and Stefan Hersh.
As a teacher of violin and viola for all ages, she has prepared students for music festival and orchestra auditions, with many receiving positions in the Chicago Youth Symphony, Illinois Music Education Association Orchestra, and various high school orchestras. Her goal is to make every lesson enjoyable, inspiring her students to practice by giving them fun music to play and using composer software to create arrangements for different levels. In her previous role as conductor for the Youth String Ensemble at the Music Academy of Chicago, Sun led her students to a state championship in the INPASS competition, with the ensemble performing at Carnegie Hall for the winners’ concert.
Sun moved to the Bay Area in 2019 with her husband’s job relocation. In her spare time, she enjoys playing golf and fishing with her husband.
SUN JOO LEE
VIOLIN AND VIOLA INSTRUCTOR
DAVID WANG
VIOLIN INSTRUCTOR
David Wang first picked up the violin at the Shanghai Children's Art Theater in China. He went on to study Music and Arts at the University of Xiamen, China. He had the privilege of studying under the illustrious Chinese violin master Sheng Zhongguo.
In America, David was under the tutelage of Clayton Haslop, perfecting his craft as well and his instructional technique. David performed with the highly esteemed China Radio Orchestra, as well as traveled with the Fujian Art Troupe as the first violinist.
After moving to California, David played with the DeAnza Chamber Orchestra of Cupertino. More recently, David instructed and conducted the Young Song of Songs Youth Orchestra of San Jose Christian Assembly for three years.
David Wang has over 15 years of experience teaching in the Bay Area.
CINDY ZHUANG
VIOLIN INSTRUCTOR
Cindy Zhuang started playing violin when she was six years old. She studied violin for more than 11 years under Mr. Vladimir Klibanov, and has been a member of Golden State Youth Orchestra for 10 seasons and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, holding numerous leading positions.
During the summer of 2019, Cindy traveled to Europe to perform in some of the world's most renowned concert halls.
She has played in the Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival for two years, has won awards in U.S. Open Music Competition, and received first-place prize in the Elite International Music Competition, traveling to New York to perform in Carnegie Hall.
JELENA LEE
VIOLIN INSTRUCTOR
Born and raised in the Bay Area, violinist Jelena Lee is pursuing an active career in performing and teaching. She obtained her Masters in Music in Violin Performance at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, where she studied under Yuan-Qing Yu. Prior to that, she received her bachelor's degree in music and German studies at UCLA, where she studied under Movses Pogossian and Varty Manouelian. As a young violinist in Los Angeles, Jelena was a member of the American Symphony Orchestra and an active member of UCLA's Gluck Music Foundation, an organization that promoted classical music around the Los Angeles area. While studying at UCLA, she had a private studio of violin and piano where she prepared students for ABRSM certifications, auditions, and competitions.
Once she moved to Chicago to continue her studies, Jelena became an active member of Northwestern's Baroque Music Ensemble. She frequently soloed with the ensemble and performed for Northwestern's Baccalaureate Commencement Service. Jelena also was a graduate assistant for the Northwestern String Academy, where she worked alongside other violin teachers to prepare students for performances, exams, and competitions. During her studies, Jelena competed in Northwestern's Thaviu Competition and was a semi-finalist in the String Division. Jelena has also played with an upcoming orchestra, First Wave Collective, that performs works by women composers.
Outside of her studies, Jelena has performed in chamber groups at Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival and Kent Blossom Music Festival, which was a partnership with the Cleveland Orchestra where she was able to study and play alongside the orchestra. After moving back to California, Jelena has focused on her instruction of violin performance, music theory, history, and aural skills.
