VIOLIN
The University of Tennessee College of Music offers multiple scholarship opportunities to advanced violin students seeking to pursue undergraduate or graduate studies at UT. Our studios have thrived through great camaraderie and hours of individual attention not found in many music programs. At the University of Tennessee, we strive to bring the top artists from around the world to engage with our students, offer master classes, lectures, workshops and other opportunities for engagement. Several of our students have received funding from the College of Music to attend prestigious summer festivals and conferences throughout the US, Europe, and Asia.
Meet Our Faculty
Professor Evie Chen
Lecturer of Violin | echen7@utk.edu
Evie Chen is an accomplished violinist from Palo Alto, California. She made her solo debut with the Fremont Symphony Orchestra at age 8 after being the youngest to win the Nafisa Taghioff Award in their Young Artists Competition. Since then, she has received recognition performing concertos with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, California Youth Symphony, Eastman Philharmonia, the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra, and the Houston Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to having an active performing career, Evie is a passionate and engaging educator with years of experience teaching at the collegiate and studio setting. Her pedagogical philosophy prioritizes awareness of ergonomic techniques that provide students an unrestricted ability in developing their unique musical voice. As a result, her students graduate from her studio with confidence in their musical independence.
Evie is also deeply interested in exploring new ways of bringing diverse music to new audiences, advocating for inclusive and holistic musical programming. She has inspired interest in contemporary and folk-based compositions, performing works like Einojuani Rautavaara’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1977) and premiering Erberk Erylmaz’s Violin Concerto No. 2, a piece which was written for her.
Evie holds a DMA and MM from Rice University, where she studied with Paul Kantor. She earned a BM in violin performance and a BA in psychology from the University of Rochester and Eastman School of Music, where she was awarded the Performer’s Certificate under the tutelage of Mikhail Kopelman.
Professor Miroslav Hristov
Area Coordinator of Strings, Professor of Violin | hristov@utk.edu
With over twenty years of teaching experience, Professor Miroslav Hristov has gained recognition as one of the leading violin pedagogues in the country. In the last several years, students from Professor Hristov’s studio have earned top prizes at national and international competitions, including the American Protégé International Concerto Competition, The ENKOR International Solo Violin Competition, the Music Teachers National Association (National Finalist), the Cleveland Orchestra of Tennessee Aria and Concerto Competition, among many others. Recent teaching awards include the Tennessee Music Teachers Association Teacher of the Year, the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts Outstanding Teacher Award, and the University of Tennessee College of Music’s Faculty Distinguished Teaching Award, an award nominated by and voted on by the UT College of Music Student Advisory Board.
Recent graduates from the Professor Hristov’s studio have received full scholarships and assistantships to attend prestigious graduate programs around the country, including Indiana University, University of Houston, Arizona State University, the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Appalachian State University, Columbus State University, among others. Others have secured competitive jobs, including appointments to the violin faculty of the Universidad Pontifica Católica de Puerto Rico, Crown College, as well as performing arts organizations, such as the National Symphony of Ukraine, the Lexington Philharmonic, Albany Symphony, among others. Many of his students participate in prestigious festivals, such as the Aspen Music Festival, Meadowmount Music Festival, Yo-Yo Ma’s Winter Music in China, among others.
Personal Teaching Statement
“With every student, my goal has always been to instill them with the technique and musical understanding that will allow them to fully express themselves through their instrument. I attribute my teaching success to my ability to diagnose technical problems, as well as my ability to prescribe the most appropriate course of study to address technical and artistic issues. I never rely on canned teaching methods; rather, I create an individualized plan of study for each student based not only on their technical and artistic needs, but also on their personal goals and ambitions. They know that I will always put their needs above my own, and this is how I have earned the loyalty and respect of my students and alumni.”
For more information about Professor Hristov, please visit his website at www.miroslavhristov.com.
