Sophie Petroski
Violin, Piano
Sophie has been teaching private lessons and group classes since 2015. She has experience teaching all ages and levels of students, from young students receiving their very first lesson to high school students preparing for college auditions. Her students have often been selected to perform in showcase recitals. Sophie’s previous teaching experience includes employment at the Crescendo Academy of Music in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Sophie is an active orchestral violinist and performs in regional symphonies, including the Battle Creek Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony, and South Bend Symphony. She has performed in orchestras for theater productions in Chicago as well as across the state of Michigan. During the summer Sophie works for the Sun Valley Music Festival in Idaho as part of the Summer Music Student Institute. She has participated in summer music festivals in Italy, Mexico, and throughout the United States, including the Meadowmount School of Music in New York. In 2013, she was selected to perform in a masterclass for Midori.
Sophie received her Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance, summa cum laude, from DePaul University in Chicago, studying under Professor Janet Sung. She received her Master of Music in Violin Performance from Western Michigan University, where she was the violin graduate assistant of Professor Renata Knific. During her time as graduate assistant, she taught applied lessons to violin undergraduates as well as the Strings Methods class for education majors.
Sophie has completed Suzuki violin training through Book 5. She believes in the importance of a good foundation and strong technical set-up for students. It satisfies her to see her students improve and progress, and her most important goal is their enjoyment of music