Violin Lessons with Julia Birnbaum

Violinist Julia Birnbaum is a dedicated teacher and performer in New York City. Ms. Birnbaum, who started playing violin at age 5 in her home state of Maryland, received a bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from Northwestern University under the tutelage of the 40-year Chicago Symphony veteran Blair Milton. While at Northwestern, Ms. Birnbaum studied violin pedagogy with Stacia Spencer, a contemporary of Mimi Zweig of Indiana University.

Ms. Birnbaum is a member of the Sarasota Opera Orchestra and recently performed with the Lincoln Center Stage Piano Quintet. She has been the seated concertmaster of the Chicago Arts Orchestra and has performed with the Hawaii, New World, Monterey, Marin, Vallejo, Pacific Chamber, Illinois, Dubuque and Rockford Symphonies; the Chicago Chamber, Lincolnwood Chamber, and Renovo String Orchestras; the Berkeley Chamber Opera, Opera Cultura, and Orchestra Gloria among others.

Before moving to New York CIty, Ms. Birnbaum resided in San Francisco and Chicago where she performed and maintained a private teaching studio as well as studios at Amabile School of Music, Northern California Music & Arts Culture Center, Chicago School of Music and Music House Inc. She also taught group violin lessons through the YOURS and ViVO El Sistema Projects, Skinner North Classical School and South Loop Elementary School and coached sectionals for Chicago Youth Symphony, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra and University of Illinois at Chicago.

Ms. Birnbaum served as concertmaster under the late-Maestro Lorin Maazel at the Castleton Festival in 2011 and also attended the Aspen Music Festival, American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz (Austria), CIM's Encore School for Strings, and Indiana University String Academy. She regularly performs chamber music throughout New York City with a variety of chamber music ensembles.

Julia teaches in the style of Mimi Zweig, which focuses on natural physical motions nurtured in a non-judgmental environment. The goal is to play with complete freedom and independence! Julia is delighted to be a part of the City Strings & Piano team!