Dorothy DeLay with Brian Lewis, the symposium's creative coordinator. (Photo by Nan Melville) View slide show of Symposium images.

The five-day symposium was devoted principally to the topic of “How to Teach the Exceptional Young Violinist.” Illustrating this issue was a series of master classes with Miss DeLay and a distinguished roster of soloists and teachers, including Itzhak Perlman, Robert McDuffie, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Midori, Cho-Liang Lin, Catherine Cho, and Juilliard Dean Stephen Clapp—all former students of Miss DeLay who are intimately familiar with her pedagogical methods and who utilize elements of her approach in their own teaching.

Participating in the master classes were 14 exceptionally talented young artists, chosen from approximately 150 applicants. Ranging in age from 14 to 25, the group included young violinists from the U.S., Austria, Germany, and Canada. Three of the performers were Juilliard students: Yuri Cho, currently a fourth-year undergraduate student of Miss DeLay and Naoko Tanaka; Ji In Yang, a first-year undergraduate and former Pre-College student of Miss DeLay and Hyo Kang; and Na-Jin Kim, a student of Miss DeLay and Ms. Kang who had just graduated from the College Division. Each of the young artists performed in two different master classes, presenting repertoire of his or her choice. The young artists were also featured in evening recitals in Paul Hall.

Another important component of the symposium was a series of violin technique and pedagogy sessions with Miss DeLay and Brian Lewis, a Juilliard alumnus and former DeLay student who served as the symposium’s creative coordinator and is himself experienced in teaching gifted young violinists. Symposium participants also attended lectures by Dr. Don Greene, a noted sports and performance psychologist, and writer Barbara Lourie Sand, author of Teaching Genius: Dorothy DeLay and the Making of a Musician. Selected participants were invited to take part in a chamber orchestra reading session of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings with Mr. Perlman.

As part of the evening offerings, two of the symposium’s distinguished guest artists presented full-length recitals in Paul Hall. Robert McDuffie, joined by pianist Charles Abramovic, gave a varied program of works by Philip Glass, George Enescu, Tobias Picker, and Romantic-era Viennese composers. Cho-Liang Lin, joined by pianist André-Michel Schub, presented an all-Brahms program.

Also taking part in the symposium were 16 “participants,” who played in the violin technique sessions and the chamber orchestra reading with Mr. Perlman, and 118 “auditors,” who were free to observe all of the symposium’s activities. (Selected master classes and recitals were open to the general public on a limited-seating basis.) This diverse group, which included representatives of 12 countries (Australia, Austria, Canada, the Dominican Republic, England, Germany, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, and Yugoslavia) and 30 U.S. states, encompassed performers, public school teachers, university professors, several former Juilliard students, and one musically gifted physicist.

Participants in all categories were uniformly enthusiastic about their experiences, citing the outstanding caliber of artists and the wide variety of program events—along with Brian Lewis’s superb organization—as the most important contributing factors to the symposium’s success. As one participant noted: “Actually, it wasn’t so much any singular event that made this symposium so extraordinary; it was the variety and combination of events that had so much accumulated impact. The fascinating differences between the guest artists, the lecture topics, the recitals—what a great combination! Focusing on some very fundamental and specific techniques in the pedagogy sessions was quite useful as well, along with the handouts and opportunities to ask questions.”

Another participant observed: “The whole week was a fantastic experience. To be exposed to such outstanding master teachers and then to hear and meet the young musicians—it was such an uplifting, challenging, joyful time for us as teachers. It gave me a whole new perspective on challenging students to reach new levels of musicianship and expertise.”

In short, the first Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies provided a rewarding educational and musical experience for everyone involved. By allowing those beyond Juilliard to gain first-hand insight into Miss DeLay’s teaching methods and the perspectives of some of her most notable former students, the symposium offered an incomparable opportunity for teachers who wish to motivate their own gifted students to fulfill their greatest artistic potential. Future symposiums, which will be hosted by Juilliard bi-annually, will allow Juilliard to expand Miss DeLay’s remarkable legacy still further.

The Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies was established as part of a generous grant from the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation to The Campaign for Juilliard. The foundation was created by Frank M. Starling in 1969 in memory of his wife, a professional violinist who performed as a soloist with many leading orchestras until 1930. Throughout her life, Mrs. Starling was dedicated to furthering interest in classical violin music. The mission of the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation honors Mrs. Starling’s work by encouraging projects that advance the study and performance of the violin. The Foundation has championed that purpose as an exceptionally generous supporter of violin studies at Juilliard since 1982.

Juilliard extends its deepest appreciation to the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation and all those who made the first Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies such a resounding success.

Lisa Robinson is writer for The Campaign for Juilliard.