Nicholas Jeffery, Viola
Nicholas Jeffery is a violist and teacher in Kalamazoo Michigan. He holds degrees from the University
of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he studied with Catherine Carroll and Masao
Kawasaki, and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where his main teacher was Sally Chisholm.
Along the way he worked with a number of coaches and teachers, including Lee Fiser, Victoria Chiang,
Sydney Hodkinson, and David Perry. He spent many summers as a fellowship student at the Aspen
Music Festival, serving two summers as the violist in the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. He has also
attended the Atlantic Music Festival in Waterville, ME, the Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca,
Italy, Interlochen, and the Encore School for Strings.
As a performer, Dr. Jeffery has been a member of the Madison Symphony orchestra, and served as
principal viola of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Dr. Jeffery helped to
found the Ursa Ensemble, a mixed chamber ensemble in Chicago, IL, and has been invited to appear as
a guest artist with the Chamber Music in the Pines Festival, the Willy Street Chamber Players, and the
Heart Strings Ensemble in Madison, WI.
Dr. Jeffery is strongly committed to teaching and maintains a full studio of private students at the
Crescendo Academy of Music. As a member of the Hunt String Quartet at the University of Wisconsin,
he visited area elementary schools to present musical lessons and give performances in the classroom.
Recently he was invited to give masterclasses to viola students at Ball State University and the
University of Wisconsin. He currently serves as Assistant Principal of the Kalamazoo Symphony where
he also performs as a member of the Burdick-Thorne String Quartet, and he is excited to join the South
Bend Symphony as their new Principal Violist starting in Fall of 2023.
of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he studied with Catherine Carroll and Masao
Kawasaki, and from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where his main teacher was Sally Chisholm.
Along the way he worked with a number of coaches and teachers, including Lee Fiser, Victoria Chiang,
Sydney Hodkinson, and David Perry. He spent many summers as a fellowship student at the Aspen
Music Festival, serving two summers as the violist in the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble. He has also
attended the Atlantic Music Festival in Waterville, ME, the Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca,
Italy, Interlochen, and the Encore School for Strings.
As a performer, Dr. Jeffery has been a member of the Madison Symphony orchestra, and served as
principal viola of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Dr. Jeffery helped to
found the Ursa Ensemble, a mixed chamber ensemble in Chicago, IL, and has been invited to appear as
a guest artist with the Chamber Music in the Pines Festival, the Willy Street Chamber Players, and the
Heart Strings Ensemble in Madison, WI.
Dr. Jeffery is strongly committed to teaching and maintains a full studio of private students at the
Crescendo Academy of Music. As a member of the Hunt String Quartet at the University of Wisconsin,
he visited area elementary schools to present musical lessons and give performances in the classroom.
Recently he was invited to give masterclasses to viola students at Ball State University and the
University of Wisconsin. He currently serves as Assistant Principal of the Kalamazoo Symphony where
he also performs as a member of the Burdick-Thorne String Quartet, and he is excited to join the South
Bend Symphony as their new Principal Violist starting in Fall of 2023.