Starling-DeLay Symposium

May 23-27, 2023

The Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies is dedicated to fostering the legacy of the late renowned teacher Dorothy DeLay. A biennial event, the Symposium takes place at Juilliard and features a distinguished roster of artist-faculty performing recitals, leading master classes, and teaching workshops designed to refine pedagogical skills with a mind-body connection that takes background, social, and mental factors into account.

A source of support and empowerment to her students, Dorothy DeLay took a holistic approach to her teaching and viewed the artist as a whole person rather than just a performer. By nurturing and encouraging each of her students’ individuality, she cultivated a community of thinkers who continue to embody and pass on her philosophy and teachings to the next generation. In emulating this philosophy at the Symposium, many of the participating faculty and performers were mentored by DeLay. 

The next Symposium will take place from Tuesday, May 23 - Saturday, May 27, 2023. The online application is now available and can be accessed here.

View the 2023 Symposium program booklet

View the 2021 virtual Symposium schedule*
View the 2019 in-person Symposium schedule.*

2023 Symposium Artist-Faculty

Danielle Belen, University of Michigan School of Music, Founder of Center Stage Strings 
Catherine Cho, The Juilliard School, Artistic Director of the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival
Francesca dePasquale, Oberlin Conservatory of Music, The Juilliard School Pre-College, Heifetz International Music Institute, Aletheia Piano Trio
Dana Fonteneau, Founder of The WholeHearted Musician™️, Master Demartini Method and Demartini Values Facilitator
Randall Goosby, Decca Classics Artist, Recipient of Sphinx’s Isaac Stern Award, Ambassador for Music Masters in the United Kingdom
Jennifer Johnson, Author, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra Violinist, ABME Licensed Body Mapping Educator
Brian Lewis, University of Texas at Austin, Artistic Director of the Brian Lewis Young Artist Program
Li Lin, The Juilliard School, Perlman Music Program
Itzhak Perlman, World-renown soloist, faculty at The Juilliard School and Perlman Music Program, recipient of the John F. Kennedy Center Honor, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Joel Smirnoff, The Juilliard School, Lifetime Grammy Award, former President of Cleveland Institute of Music and Juilliard String Quartet member
Curtis Stewart, The Juilliard School, Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra, PUBLIQuartet, Grammy Award Nominee
Rachell Ellen Wong, Recipient of Avery Fisher Career Grant, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Valley of the Moon Music Institute, Co-Founder of Twelfth Night

2023 Symposium Student Artists

Calvin Alexander
Claire Arias-Kim
Maxwell Brown
Kristine Clair “KayCee” Uchi Galano
Ellen Hayashi 
Qianru Elaine He 
Tianyu Liu
Bobby Boogyeom Park
Serin Park 
Sory Park
Iris Shepherd
Jaewon Wee

General Information

Participation is offered at one of two levels: Participant or Student Artist

Participants accepted into the symposium will observe all master classes and recitals as well as participate in the workshops. Participants are encouraged to bring their instruments for use in the workshops. Preference is given to applicants who are professional violinists or violists, teachers, and postgraduate or college students. Minors (younger than 18) may only be admitted on a space-available basis and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is also accepted as a paying participant. No audition is required to apply as a Participant.

Student Artists are selected as performing students for the symposium. Up to 12 student violinists are accepted to perform in public master classes for the artist-faculty and in public recitals in Paul Hall. Student artists may also observe other symposium events as time allows. There is no tuition fee for student artists.

To audition for the Student Artists program, applicants must submit:

1. Two letters of recommendation (one must be from the applicant's current primary teacher);
2. Video audition consisting of the following repertoire:
   • one movement from an unaccompanied sonata or partita by Bach
   • a movement from any concerto in the standard repertoire
   • one Paganini caprice
   • one virtuosic show piece (by Sarasate, Wieniawski, Kreisler, etc.)
   • A piece of your choice: We encourage you to include a work by a composer from historically underrepresented gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural heritages. Please see Music by Black Composers: An Introductory Resource for some suggested works.

Submitted recordings should be recent and unedited. Preference is given to students currently enrolled in a pre-college, Bachelor's or Master's degree program.

Application Deadline and Fees

The application deadline for the 2023 Symposium has been extended to May 12, 2023. Apply now to be a participant. The deadline for student artists has passed.

Participants:

• Application Deadline: extended until May 12, 2023
• Application Fee: $60
• Participant Tuition: $575
• Notification of Acceptance: Participants will be notified of acceptance on a rolling basis, beginning February 2023.

Student Artists:

• Application Deadline: The student artist deadline has passed

Due to extensive renovations, Juilliard’s Residence Hall is not available for housing in 2023. Symposium attendees may book a room in our reserved hotel block at the Empire Hotel, located at 44 W. 63rd Street, or choose to arrange their own housing. Minors younger than 18, including Student Artists, must room with a parent or guardian.

Meal plans will not be provided during the Symposium. Food is available for purchase on campus at the Juilliard Cafeteria and at numerous restaurants in the Lincoln Center area.

Please click here to find Juilliard’s current COVID-19 protocols. Participants will be asked to provide proof of vaccination prior to arrival. Juilliard reserves the right to require masking and testing during the course of the program, pending guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and trends in public health conditions at that time.

For more information please e-mail [email protected].

Brian Lewis, Artistic Director
Catherine Cho, Artistic Advisor
Anna Royzman, Administrative Director
Eric Oatts, Program Manager

The biennial Starling-DeLay Symposium, dedicated to the art of violin teaching and performance, is hosted by The Juilliard School as part of the Starling-DeLay Symposium of Violin Studies and made possible by the generous support of the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation.