Roland and Almita Vamos
Roland and Almita Vamos are a husband and wife teaching team who are among the leading violin and viola instructors in the world. Many of their pupils have become laureates of prestigious international competitions. Named Distinguished Teachers by the National Foundation of the Arts, the Vamoses have been recognized at the White House six times. They have been honored by the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) with the Distinguished Service Award, and showcased on CBS' Sunday Morning News. Their students are found in many major orchestras, including the Boston Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, and most recently, three additions to the violin section of the New York Philharmonic.
Roland studied with Oscar Shumsky and William Lincer at the Juilliard School. He is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching four times, and has been honored with the ASTA Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award for his achievements.
Almita studied with Mischa Mischakoff and Louis Persinger at the Juilliard School. She is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching five times, and has been honored with the ASTA Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award for her achievements.
The Vamos' pedogogical lineage can be traced back to Eugène Ysaÿe, Henri Vieuxtemps, Henryk Wieniawski, and as early as Arcangelo Corelli.
Dr. and Mrs. Vamos have been members of the music faculty of the Music Institute of Chicago, Western Illinois University, University of Minnesota, and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. They are currently on the faculty at Northwestern University.
Former students include Cathy Basrak, Rachel Barton Pine, Jennifer Koh, David Yonan Stephanie Arado, Korey Konkol, Benny Kim, and Viacheslav Dinerchtein.