Backstage: Classical Career Conversations was created by host Katrina Stroud, a classical violinist, in order to share the stories from some of the top music classically trained string instrumentalists in the country. On this podcast you will hear from professional musicians about their musical backgrounds, education, mentors, challenges, career highlights, collaborations, and advice they have to give to aspiring professional musicians. This podcast was created with string instrumentalist students, teachers, and parents in mind, or even those interested in an inside look into the classical music world. Katrina hopes that Backstage: Classical Career Conversations inspires others as much as it inspires her to hear from these incredible musicians who have devoted their lives to their craft.
About Us
About the Host
Katrina Stroud
Host
Katrina Stroud has been playing violin since the age of three and currently attends the University of Michigan studying with Fabiola Kim, and graduated from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings with her Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance with electives in Business. As a sophomore in college in 2023 she won second prize in the St. Paul String Quartet Competition and was a quarter-finalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
Katrina has performed in the Fabian Concert Series of Mercer University alongside violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti, cellist Sihao He and pianist Jeewon Park. She has also performed on the concert series Andy and Friends, UCSB Chamber Music, and New Canaan Chamber Music. She performed in the Emmy award-winning “A Night of Georgia Music” which was broadcast on national television with violinist Robert McDuffie; Mike Mills, lead guitarist of REM; and pianist Chuck Leavell of The Rolling Stones. Katrina has worked with world-renowned pedagogues and performers such as Paul Kantor, Miriam Fried, Robert Lipsett, Vadim Gluzman, James Ehnes, Donald Weilerstein, and Peter Oundjian among others.
Katrina was a member of the Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra where she was concertmaster and principal second violinist and is currently the Principal Second Violinist of the University of Michigan University Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also performed with the New World Symphony as a substitute musician. She has performed under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, Peter Oundjian, Paul Watkins, Robert Spano, Roderick Cox, Peter Bay, and Jane Glover to name a few. As an avid chamber musician Katrina has worked with members of the Emerson, Cavani, Tokyo, Cleveland, Calidore, Attacca, and Ariel String Quartets among others. She has participated in a student-led program, the New Music Initiative for Black Voices, which collaborates with young black composers and gives them a voice in the classical music industry. Katrina has spent her summers at the Aspen Music Festival, Rome Chamber Music Festival, Center Stage Strings, Encore Chamber Music String and Chamber Music Intensive, Sounding Point Academy, Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, Texas Strings Festival, and was a fellow at the Blackburn Music Academy at Festival Napa Valley.