Background & Offerings

Greetings! My name is Garrett Fischbach. I have been a member of the Grammy Award winning Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 1998, and was previously a member of the San Francisco Symphony and the National Symphony Orchestra. My 2-CD recording of the complete works for solo violin by J.S. Bach was released to critical acclaim in 2004.

I offer inspiring violin and viola lessons and chamber music coaching to enthusiastic intermediate and advanced amateurs who love to play simply for the value music brings to their life.

I earned my Bachelor of Music degree, Magna Cum Laude, from Boston University and my Master of Music degree from Northern Illinois University. I began my violin studies at a young age with my father Gerald Fischbach, and later studied with Elaine Richey, George Neikrug, Roland and Almita Vamos, Yuri Mazurkevich, and Shmuel Ashkenasi. My chamber music mentors included members of the Guarneri, Muir, and Vermeer quartets.

I am a frequent adjudicator for Juilliard Pre-College concerto competitions, and was a college division faculty member at Mannes School of Music from 2008-2015, and an adjudicator for the Manhattan School of Music Orchestra Performance Program in 2012. I have performed and taught at the Sun Valley Artist Series, the Sid & Mary Foulger International Music Festival, the International Music Academy Pilsen, Czech Republic, and International Workshops in Graz, Austria. 

During my 25 years as a professional orchestral musician, I have collaborated with many wonderful colleagues in both informal house concerts, and formal concert hall performances of much of the standard string quartet repertoire. These experiences have brought me profound social and musical nourishment.

Through the study of music, I believe we become more attuned to beauty in the world around us. Playing a musical instrument helps us gain heightened aesthetic awareness and self-directed learning skills, which enhance enjoyment and success in all of our endeavors.

As a member of the MET Orchestra, I have learned from great singers past and present, and strive to imbue string playing with the expressiveness of the human voice. This voice, that all humans possess at their core, is a common link that ultimately brings us together.

I am a member of American String Teachers Association and Chamber Music America.

I look forward to exploring the joys of chamber music with you!