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The Bachelor of Music in String Performance is an intensive performance degree emphasizing classical training for solo, chamber and orchestral experience.

String performance majors take hourly lessons with their private instructors plus studio classes every week, and will frequently perform with The Chapman Orchestra throughout the semester at our state-of-the-art concert hall, Musco Center for the Arts. There are numerous performance opportunities for performance majors on and off campus, as well as the opportunity to work with and play for visiting guest artists.

Prospective conservatory students may take a complimentary half-hour lesson with one of our applied instructors. Please contact the music office to make arrangements for a lesson.

We welcome your interest in our program and look forward to helping you turn your passion into profession!

Strings Faculty

The String Studies program at Chapman is led by Dr. Yoshika Masuda and includes faculty who maintain an active career in the solo, chamber and orchestral fields, bringing with them a wealth of professional experience from today's music industry. We are committed to realizing each student's musical aspirations and dedicating our efforts to equipping them with the tools and wisdom necessary to succeed as a musician in the 21^st century.

Yoshika Masuda, cello
Eunae Koh, violin
William Farrington, double bass
Christine Frank, violin
Phillip Triggs, viola

Performance Opportunities

As an undergraduate-only program there is no system of seniority in our music ensembles: students are selected and seated based on their talent and level of commitment, which means a first-year student has opportunities equal to any other student to participate. Ensembles popular with string studies students include:

Masterclasses and Special Events

The Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music invites guest artists and ensembles on a regular basis to work with students and ensembles in their respective fields of expertise. Recent musicians include Anne Akiko Meyers, Ensemble Mik Nawooj, Stefan Jackiw, Maestro Carl St.Clair of Pacific Symphony and the Penderecki String Quartet.

In addition, as part of the Musco Center for the Arts "Leap of Art" program, CoPA students benefit from residencies with visiting artists who conduct masterclasses and intensives which have included Sarah Chang, Quartetto di Cremona, Juilliard String Quartet, Kishi Bashi, Richard Yongjae O’Neill and Lucia Micarelli Quartet. So far this year, the Australian Haydn Ensemble spent time working with our string students and, in spring 2024, Juilliard String Quartet returns along with Chamber Society of Lincoln Center for additional student master classes.

What's more, our students have enjoyed the unique opportunity of learning to perform alongside professional musicians while using a click track to synchronize their performance with special Disney^® film screenings with live orchestra, including Pixar in Concert, Coco in Concert and The Little Mermaid in Concert.

Other Perks

You can option to double-major in another music or non-music program and complete both in four years, thanks to full support from your faculty.
You'll have career support from our dedicated performing arts career advisor from day one and beyond graduation.
You may have possiblie opportunities to be assigned use of prestigious instruments:
- Albert Saparoff violin and bow (donated by the family of renowned violinist Henri Temianka)
- Winston violin (by renowned violin maker Carl Becker Sr.; donated by Caron and Jeff Winston)
Our string students have:
- studied and performed works of BIPOC composers.
- worked with GRAMMY-winning musicians.
- won top prizes in local, state, national and international competitions.
- been slected to perform in masterclasses with renowned musicians in a variety of professional venues.

Where This Degree Will Take You

Professional Performance, both solo and collaborative
Recording Artist
Music Industry Professional
Strings Pedagogy
Collegiate Music Education
Elementary and High School Music Education

What's more, by adding a second major or minor in another music or non-music discipline, students may harness their String Performance degree in even more diverse careers after graduation.

Career Connections for Life

We support the paths our musicians choose after graduation from Chapman, whether that be graduate school to pursue advanced degrees in strings performance, pedagogy, music education, arts management, music therapy, or non-music degrees; launch a teaching studio; perform in classical or non-classical genres (accompanying, self-created ensembles, jazz, musical theater, popular music), or work in the music industry. Your dedicated career advisor will help you define your goals and develop a plan to reach them.

Admission and Tour Information

Want to learn more about Chapman? We are always available for tours and information sessions and we’d love to meet you! Visit the links below to learn more about applying to the conservatory on our Music Admission page, including information about auditions and deadlines, or check out the strings curriculum on our catalog page.

Music Admission Info Course Catalog Tours & Info Sessions

Upcoming Events

Our performance season begins in fall of each academic year. Watch this space for upcoming music event and ticketing information as it becomes available!