STELLAR STRINGS CAMP

🎻2026 Stellar Strings Camp Information🎻

For young string orchestra players grades 5th - 8th

Must have 2 years of experience: Violin, Viola, Cello, and Double Bass.

Dates:
July 13- 17, 2026

Hours:
9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Location:
TBA

In District Fee:
$275.00

Out of District Fee:
$350.00

Payment Policy:
FULL Payment is required by the close of registration (6/26/26); otherwise, enrollment will be cancelled.

Campers must provide own lunch.

Melissa Brun is a professional cellist and freelance teaching artist. Holding a Bachelors of Music and a Performers Certificate from SUNY Purchase College Conservatory, she has recently been on faculty at Millersville University, UArts, and currently hosts her own private studio. She has performed and soloed with various orchestras and choral associations in the Philadelphia area, and managed the Chester County Youth Orchestra from 2020-2025.
Melissa has been a String Clinician with D’Addario Orchestral since 2018, and delivers free workshops to students and educators across the country. A veteran clinician, she has presented at ASTA, Pennsylvania-, Delaware-, and Maryland Music Educator Conferences, and has worked with students and educators at over 150 schools across the country.

Ms. Beard has been honored to receive numerous teaching awards including the 2016 American Viola Society’s Maurice Riley Award; the 2018 Philadelphia Youth Orchestra’s Ovation Award; and the Suzuki Association’s Certificate of Achievement in 2009. Ms. Beard has served on the boards of the Greater Philadelphia Suzuki Association and the Philadelphia Viola Society. She also frequently serves as an adjudicator/presenter for regional and national string playing events including this year’s New Jersey ASTA Certificate Advancement Program auditions and workshops for the Peabody Conservatory Preparatory.

New Age Electric Violinist & Composer - Caryn Lin is a classically trained violinist, composer, and pioneering electric violinist whose work bridges melody, atmosphere, and healing. She has been exploring sound, electronics, and effects since 1987, creating music often described as magical and mesmerizing like light traveling through a prism. Her sound is a transcendent blend of emotion, texture, and vibration.
A native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Caryn studied with Philadelphia Orchestra violinist Larry Grika and earned her bachelor’s degree in violin performance from Northwestern University. She later continued her studies in Germany with renowned violin virtuoso Suzanne Lautenbacher.
Caryn’s music is created through the use of electric violin, live looping, sound effects originally designed for electric guitar, and her own pre-recorded compositions. The result is an immersive sonic experience that inspires imagination and nurtures the soul. In recent years, she has expanded her work into the realm of sound healing, where the vibration of live music has become a powerful tool for restoration, regulation, and release. Her performances create a calm, receptive space where blocked energy can soften and new intentions can take root.

Teal Wintsch is a master violinmaker with over 28 years of experience. Originally from Lancaster County, PA, Teal grew up playing the violin. He went on to graduate from the North Bennet Street School’s Violin Making and Restoration program in Boston. Teal enjoys practicing his craft that joins his passions for woodworking and music. He has trained under some of the top luthiers and bow makers in the country. Teal has had the privilege of working in association with David Bromberg, renowned collector of American violins, since 2008. With David’s retirement in 2022, Teal has taken over the shop, which is now Wintsch Violins, LLC, located in Downtown Wilmington, Delaware. The establishment provides a comprehensive selection of violins, violas, and cellos, catering to a wide range of skill levels, from student to professional. Teal specializes in fine restorations and repairs and occasionally makes a new instrument. He enjoys helping others maximize their instrument’s potential and teaching how to properly maintain it.

Kristin Nelson is an educator, strings teacher, violinist and clarinetist. She holds a B.M. in Music Education from West Chester University and is working towards her Master’s in Music Education.

She is currently the orchestra director for Upper Darby High School. Additionally, she performs with the Rose Tree Pops, the Pennsylvania Symphonic Winds, and studies violin with Cindy Campetti of Havertown, PA. In her free time she enjoys attending concerts, swimming, hiking, and reading.

Ms. Nelson has extensive experience in working with elementary level students as well. In fact, she has been part of our Musicman Camp staff since 2017. We are so excited to have her lead this new program! She believes in giving students opportunities that will inspire them to become lifelong musicians.

Lingchin LiaoViolin, Suzuki, Early Childhood Music | M.M. and Professional Studies in Violin Performance, Temple University; B.M. Music Education and Violin Performance, National Taiwan Normal University. Studied violin with Helen Kwalwasser and Cindy Campetti. Additional training: Suzuki violin book 1-8 and Gordon Institute for Music Learning Theory.
Orchestral experience: Haddonfield Symphony Orchestra, Taipei City Symphony Orchestra. At Darlington Arts Center, teaches violin private lessons onsite and runs the Outreach Suzuki Violin Program in Chester PA. Also, holds positions as part time strings faculty at The Independence School in Newark DE and The Music School of Delaware.

Glenn Fischbach is a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Orlando Cole and William Stokking. Following his graduation, Mr. Fischbach spent six seasons as principal cellist of the Savannah Symphony Orchestra. Now living in Philadelphia, Mr. Fischbach is active both as a teacher and performer. He maintains a private teaching studio at his home in Drexel Hill and has served as acting principal cellist with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia while performing regularly as a substitute musician with The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Riley McGowan graduated from West Chester University in 2020 with degrees in Music Education and Violin Performance. While at WCU, she sat as Principal Viola for the Symphony Orchestra. Currently, Riley teaches middle school orchestra in the West Chester Area School District. In addition to teaching, Riley performs with the Chester County Pops Orchestra. In her free time, Riley enjoys hiking, kayaking, and playing Mario Kart with her wife.