Where Music Meets Meaning

My Journey

Even before I had words, I felt music.

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As a child, I felt it more than I understood it—and as I grew, music carried me into a world beyond words.  Decades later, that deep resonance still lives at the heart of my work.

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Violin is both intricate and exhilarating—a dance of detail and soul.  It demands precision like a surgeon and fluidity like a dancer.  But more than anything, it opens a doorway to the ineffable.  It brings us into contact with something we almost remember.

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And I've never stopped wanting to share that.​

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Professional Background

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I'm Dr. Valissa Willwerth, and I've spent 35 years as a professional violinist and educator.

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Highlights include:

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• Over 1900 concerts with The Philadelphia Orchestra as an extra musician/substitute, including international tours to Asia, Europe, South America, and Puerto Rico.

• Regular recent performances with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and additional appearances with the Detroit Opera and Philadelphia concerts and festivals.

• Performer on numerous commercial recordings including many with The Philadelphia Orchestra, and as solo/first violin on Ola Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass and Patrick Hawes'e The Fire of Love.

• Guest violinist with the Wister Quartet, Orchestra 2001, Philly Pops, and guest concertmaster/section violin with the Princeton Symphony

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I hold a Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from Rutgers University, where I was awarded a full doctoral fellowship, twice won the concerto competition, and received the first Irene Alm Memorial Prize for combined performance and scholarly research and writing.  Earlier degrees include a BM and MM from the Cleveland Institute of Music.

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My principal teachers include Arnold Steinhardt (Guarneri Quartet), Martin Chalifour (Concertmaster LA Phil), and Linda Cerone, with additional studies with David Kim (Concertmaster, The Philadelphia Orchestra).

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I perform on a 1760 Balestrieri violin.

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Teaching and Mentorship

​For me, teaching is a form of connection, creativity and care—and I absolutely love it.

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My approach blends technical rigor with deep listening, emotional presence, and individualized guidance.  I've taught:

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• As adjunct faculty at Temple University's Boyer College of Music

• As a guest teacher at Haverford College, Westminster Choir College, the Strings International Music Festival at Bryn Mawr College, and University of Michigan All-State Program at Interlochen.

• At The Pingry School, Rutgers University Community Music Program, and in my longstanding private studio.

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I work with children, teens and adults—including many returners and educators—helping each student find their voice, build trust in their technique, and reconnect with the joy of playing.

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Beyond the Violin

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My lifelong love of horses has led me to a second calling in equine bodywork, where I use a combination of osteopathy, craniosacral therapy, and the Masterson Method to help horses release physical and emotional tension.  The sensitivity required in this work is strikingly similar to the kind of presence I bring to teaching violin:  a blend of intuition, structure, and deep attunement to movement.

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Final Notes

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I believe that music is not just something we do—it's something we become.

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If you're seeking a learning space that honors both skill and soul, you're warmly invited

to reach out.

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Let's see what we can discover together.​​​