Jeffrey Irvine

About Jeffrey

Named Artist Teacher of the Year (2020) by the American String Teachers Association, Jeffrey Irvine joined the CIM faculty as the Fynette H. Kulas Professor of Viola in September 1999. He is currently co-head of the viola department. He was professor of viola at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music from 1983 to 1999 and was chair of Oberlin’s string division for seven years. His students have gone on to major orchestral, teaching and chamber music posts across the country and around the world. His students have often been first prize winners in major viola competitions, including the Primrose Competition, ASTA National Solo Competition and Washington International Competition. Irvine previously taught at the Eastman School of Music and Wichita State University.

During the summer, Irvine is on the artist faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and Interlochen Viola Workshop. He previously taught at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute, ENCORE School for Strings, Meadowmount School of Music, Killington Music Festival, Park City Chamber Music Festival, Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts, Castleman Quartet Program and Perlman Music Program.

The first prize winner in both the 1979 Aspen Music Festival Viola Competition and 1976 Cleveland Quartet Competition (as a member of the Carmel Quartet), Irvine received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Philadelphia Musical Academy and his Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. His teachers have included Heidi Castleman, Charles Castleman, David Cerone, Dorothy DeLay, Martha Katz, William Primrose, Margaret Randall, Karen Tuttle and Donald Weilerstein.

I tailor my teaching approach to the needs of each student. My aim is to help them develop to the fullest extent possible in their viola playing, their musicianship, and their expressive potential.