McDuffie Center For Strings Welcomes New Distinguished Artist Stefan Jackiw
The Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, part of Mercer University's Townsend School of Music, is excited to welcome internationally acclaimed violinist Stefan Jackiw to the faculty as a distinguished artist for the upcoming 2026 fall semester. With Jackiw's addition to the faculty, Center for Strings founder Robert McDuffie will transition to mentoring and coaching all disciplines within the Center, while distinguished artist David Kim, concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, will continue his focus on orchestral playing, also with the entire student body. Jackiw will join Artistic Director Amy Schwartz Moretti in co-instructing the violin studio.
"It is an honor and a joy to join the faculty of the McDuffie Center for Strings," said Jackiw. Recently, Jackiw visited the McDuffie Center to work with violin students in an artist class and take in a performance of the Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra. "During my recent visit, I was deeply impressed by the excellence, dedication and commitment of the students, as well as the nurturing environment of the school. I am also thrilled to teach alongside some of the world’s leading pedagogues and concert artists. My sincere thanks go to founder Robert McDuffie and artistic director Amy Schwartz Moretti for welcoming me to the Center. I look forward to exploring the treasures of the violin repertoire with the students!"
Moretti said, "Music flourishes with collaboration, and I'm delighted to welcome Stefan to co-teach the violin studio with me. Together, we look forward to inspiring the students and nurturing this next generation of musicians." McDuffie added, "It's a privilege and a joy to welcome Stefan to the McDuffie Center family. He's not only one of the world’s greatest violinists, he's an insightful and profound teacher as well. He and Amy will make a powerful team, and our violin students will be the fortunate beneficiaries."
ABOUT STEFAN JACKIW
Stefan Jackiw is one of America's foremost violinists, captivating audiences with playing that combines poetry and purity with an impeccable technique. Hailed for playing of "uncommon musical substance" that is "striking for its intelligence and sensitivity" (Boston Globe), Jackiw has appeared as soloist with the Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco symphony orchestras, among others. Abroad, Jackiw has appeared with such ensembles as the London Philharmonic, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic and the Tokyo Philharmonic. He regularly performs at important festivals and concert series, including the Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, Mostly Mozart Festival, the Celebrity Series of Boston, the Philharmonie de Paris and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw.
An active chamber musician, Jackiw is a member of the Junction Trio, together with pianist Conrad Tao and cellist Jay Campbell. Jackiw's discography includes the complete Brahms violin sonatas on Sony, and a forthcoming recording of the complete Ives violin sonatas with his frequent collaborator, pianist Jeremy Denk. Jackiw also recently recorded the Beethoven Triple concerto with cellist Alisa Weilerstein, pianist Inon Barnatan and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, conducted by Alan Gilbert and released on Decca.
Jackiw is also a committed teacher. He frequently gives masterclasses at prestigious conservatories and universities, such as the Colburn School, Harvard University, University of Michigan, Bard College, Manhattan School of Music, Vanderbilt University, Sydney Conservatorium and the Australian National Academy of Music. In 2020, Jackiw started a free monthly online masterclass series, called Stefan's Sessions, in which he leads an analysis of one of the masterpieces of the violin repertoire, addressing matters of interpretation, technical solutions, historical context and performance preparation. Each session features three outstanding violin students, selected through online video application, who perform excerpts of the repertoire live on Zoom. Stefan's Sessions has drawn over 500 attendants and has fostered an online community for serious violin students from around the world.
Jackiw holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University as well as an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory. His teachers have included Zinaida Gilels, Michèle Auclair and Donald Weilerstein. He is the recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant.