Faculty

Profile

Praised for her “beautiful tone and nuanced phrasing” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), violinist Rebecca Fischer is sought after as a highly expressive, intuitive performer of solo, chamber music and chamber orchestra repertoire. Garnering attention for her compelling programs of solo violin and singing violinist music, Ms. Fischer has premiered solo works by composers Lisa Bielawa, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Paola Prestini, Mathew Fuerst, Augusta Read Thomas, Byron Au Yong, Pierre Jalbert and others. Recent solo recital engagements include Columbia University’s Miller Theater Pop-Up series, The Stone, and the University of Oregon. She is the concertmaster of Ensemble Baroklyn, a group run by pianist Simone Dinnerstein specializing in the music of Bach, and she performs regularly with other ensembles such as the East Coast Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Fischer is also a member of The Afield, a multidisciplinary collaboration with visual artist/writer Anthony Hawley combining new and original compositions for violin, voice, and electronics with video and other media. The Afield has performed at the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe, Carnegie Hall, and the Atlanta Contemporary Museum, and has published work in Art Papers.

First-violinist of the Chiara String Quartet for eighteen years until the group’s final season in 2018, Ms. Fischer recorded and performed numerous works by heart, held residencies at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Harvard University, and premiered many major new works by composers such as Gabriela Lena Frank and Philip Glass. Performance highlights include the complete Bartók Quartets by heart at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, several complete Beethoven quartet cycles, and collaborations with such artists as the Juilliard and Saint Lawrence Quartets, Roger Tapping, Robert Levin, and the electronic duo Matmos. Ms. Fischer has recorded for Azica Records (the complete string quartets of Brahms and Bartók) and New Amsterdam Records (the string quartets of Jefferson Friedman, a Grammy-nominated album).

Ms. Fischer is the Executive Director and Director of Senior Camp at Greenwood Music Camp, where she has been on the faculty since 2006. During the year she teaches violin and chamber music at the Mannes School of Music and serves as co-chair of the string department. She has given masterclasses and run workshops at Carnegie Hall, Rice University, Seoul National University, Peabody Conservatory, the University of Michigan, and San Francisco Conservatory, among others, and she was on the faculty of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for over a decade. Ms. Fischer holds degrees from Columbia University (B.A.) and The Juilliard School (M.M., A.D.).

Ms. Fischer’s first book of essays “The Sound of Memory: Themes from a Violinist’s Life” (Mad Creek Books, the Ohio University State Press) was released in April of 2022. The “intimate and vulnerable” (Strings Magazine) collection has been featured on WNYC, and Ms. Fischer has given readings of her “personal, absorbing response to the author’s practical and creative journey” (Strad Magazine) at Rice University and the New School. Her writing on artistry and creativity has also been published in Strings Magazine and on online blogs. rebeccafischerviolin.com.

Degrees Held

Bachelor of Arts--Columbia University

Master of Music--The Juilliard School

Artist Diploma--The Juilliard School

Recent Publications

The Sound of Memory: Themes from a Violinist's Life (2022, Mad Creek Books, Ohio State University Press)

"State of Mind: How Musicians Can Leverage the Benefits of Mental Practice" in Strings Magazine (Jan/Feb 2020)

"Tips for Thoughtful Practicing" in Strings Magazine (Feb 2019)

"How Playing with Character Brings Beauty & Purpose to Musical Expression" in Strings Magazine (Mar 2018)

Research Interests

violin artistry, chamber music, creative and efficient practicing