Virginia Tech String Project

Our Mission:
To provide high quality and inclusive string music education for our communitity and to prepare Virginia Tech's undergraduate and graduate music students for success in their futures as music educators.
The award-winning Virginia Tech String Project, founded in 2007, is the signature community enrichment program for the music program at Virginia Tech. Our program is a member of the National String Project Consortium, founded in 1998, to address a national string teacher shortage through a plan that establishes teacher-training programs at universities throughout the country. Master string teachers work with Virginia Tech’s undergraduate music students to teach all classes. We fill a significant gap in the public-school system curriculum by providing beginning lessons in strings to students in the 3rd and 4th grades as well as providing a space for older students’ musical growth through multiple string orchestras for those with prior experience.
Academic Year

- Check back in August for fall 2025 registration vor violin, viola, cello, double bass, and guitar classes.
- Instrument rental plans are available through Greg Bump at Rocket Music.
- 2023-24 VTSP Handbook
Summer Camp

- $15 covers the cost of instrument rental for a brand new string player to use at exploration camp
- $60 provides a full scholarship for a brand new string player to experience learning the string instrument of their choice
- $155 provides a full tuition scholarship for an advancing string player to participate in our summer intensive
Meet our Faculty

Director
Molly Wilkens-Reed
Alan Weinstein
Master Teachers
Joey Ballard
Yi-wen Evans
Student Teachers
Julia Calcagno
Lindsey Finks
Grace Carey Kistler
Genevieve Kopp
Vera Kovalskaya
Darnell Leon
Olivia Seidenberg
Catherine Tyre
News and Awards
- Keep up to date with the latest news and stories from the Virginia Tech String Project by following our Facebook page!

- VTSP Leadership was recognized with the 2024 Alumni Award for Outreach Excellence- Team Achievement. Read more here.
- Mazi Zachary recognized with receipt of Future Music Educator of the Year award from the Virginia String Teachers Associaton (VASTA) in 2024
- Thomas "Tommy" Cummins recognized with receipt of Future Music Educator of the Year award in 2022
- Bringing string music education to rural southwest Virginia
- Virginia Tech String Project Rehearsal doodle by Steven White
- Orchestrating a symphony of connections in community music education
- String Project brings music instruction to Montgomery County
- The National String Project Consortium 20th anniversary virtual orchestra performance