About

Performer – Collaborator – Teacher

A native of Nebraska, Grace Pugh began her violin studies at the age of 9 as part of the Lincoln Public Schools elementary strings program. From there, her music-making has taken her to far-reaching places domestically and internationally to connect with a variety of audiences. She completed her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at St. Olaf College studying with Francesca Anderegg and Colleen McCullough, graduating Summa Cum Laude. Grace completed her Master of Music in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy at The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University studying with MingHuan Xu. Other former teachers include Hyeyung Yoon of the Chiara String Quartet, Ruth Meints of the Omaha Conservatory of Music, and Kim Osborne Salistean of Omaha Symphony.

An avid orchestral musician, she has toured Germany, Ireland, and much of North America. Grace has appeared at Carnegie Hall with the St. Olaf Orchestra and world renowned violinist, Sarah Chang. During her studies at St. Olaf College, Grace performed with the St. Olaf Orchestra as well as her string quartet, 22:30. At Roosevelt University Grace served as Concertmaster of the CCPA Symphony Orchestra and performed with the CCPA chamber orchestra and various chamber ensembles. Grace has attended the Texas Strings Camp, National Music Festival, and BayView Music Festival. She has participated in masterclasses with Almita Vamos, David Taylor, John Sharp, Jinjoo Cho, Blaise Dejardin, and members of the Brentano, Ariel, Chiara, St. Lawrence, and Artaria String Quartets.

Grace has been an active violin teacher for over 8 years. She began teaching at Prairie Hill Learning Center located in Nebraska starting in 2015. During her graduate studies in Chicago she taught at two music studios in addition to maintaining a private studio. Grace has completed Every Child Can training with Avi Friedlander and has been certified in Suzuki Books 1-8 with Ann Montzka-Smelser.

https://suzukiassociation.org/people/grace-pugh/