The Met Orchestra concertmaster, soloist, chamber music and educator will take up the role of professor of violin in autumn 2025
The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University has announced the appointment of David Chan as professor of violin, starting full time in autumn 2025. Chan joins Shepherd’s violin faculty after 25 seasons as concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and as a faculty member at The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music.
Chan will maintain a full violin studio, teach orchestral repertoire, coach students in chamber music and help lead creative labs, where students will workshop new commissions, focus on ensemble readings, and develop new creative practices.
He joins Shepherd’s current violin faculty members Paul Kantor, Cho-Liang Lin, and Kathleen Winkler.
On his appointment, Chan said: ’I’ve had the privilege of making music at the very highest level for the past 25 years in one of the world’s great orchestras.
’Now the time has come in my career to share everything I’ve learnt with the young people who represent the future of our magnificent art. Joining the fantastic community of colleagues and students at Rice is the perfect opportunity to do that.’
Chan will move to Houston, TX, this summer with his wife, the violinist Catherine Ro, and their three children. Over the next two years, he will gradually phase out of his roles at The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, where he has been head of the orchestral performance programme. As an interim step, the Metropolitan Opera has granted Chan a one-year leave of absence.
Matthew Loden, the Lynette S. Autrey dean of music at Shepherd, said that Chan’s appointment aligned with the institution’s initiative to build a top orchestral programme in the US.
’David’s vast experience with the orchestral and operatic repertoire and his gift for teaching the next generation of talent is a perfect fit for Shepherd’s ensemble-building focus,’ commented Loden.
’That our graduates are joining top-ranking orchestras around the world can largely be attributed to our distinguished faculty and specialised instruction.’
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