Margaret Batjer will join both the Colburn School’s Music Academy and Conservatory of Music
US violinist Margaret Batjer has been named director of the Los Angeles-based Colburn School’s Music Academy. Batjer had already been part of the Music Academy’s faculty since 2015. She will also be joining the Colburn School’s Conservatory of Music’s violin faculty and will resign from her professorship at USC Thornton School of Music’s in 2026.
As director of the Music Academy, which began in 2010 and trains high-level pre-college musicians, she wil shape its artistic vision and the development of their programme. She will continue to lead the Academy Virtuosi, which is made up of the programme’s players.
’We are thrilled to welcome Margaret Batjer as the Director of Colburn School’s Music Academy,’ said Colburn President and CEO Sel Kardan. ’Her multifaceted career, international profile, and long history with the School make her the perfect fit for this pivotal role. She has a deep understanding of what exceptional young artists need at the pre-college stage of their development and her vision will undoubtedly enhance our Music Academy.’
’I am honored to assume leadership of Colburn’s world-class Music Academy and to join the exceptional string faculty in the Conservatory of Music,’ said Batjer. ’It is a privilege to guide and inspire young musicians within such a prestigious institution, known for its commitment to artistic excellence in music education. I look forward to continuing to foster a community where young artists can thrive and fulfill their potential in the world of classical music.’
Batjer has served as the concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra since 1998. She is also its director of chamber music. She has appeared as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, St Louis Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and has played in halls such as La Scala, Carnegie Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Suntory Hall in Japan. Over the decades, she has also recorded extensively.
As a chamber musician, she has participated in the Marlboro Music Festival, La Jolla Summerfest, Sarasota Music Festival and Vancouver Chamber Music Festival, among others. In 2020, she formed the Los Angeles Piano Trio with Fabio Bidini and Andrew Shulman, and has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Jeffrey Kahane, Radu Lupu, Peter Serkin, Wu Han, David Finckel, and Chris Thile.
Batjer is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she studied with Ivan Galamian and David Cerone.
Read: Violist Jonathan William Brown joins Colburn School faculty as professor of chamber music
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