Area Coordinator of Strings Area Coordinator of StringsAssociate Professor of Music
Susanna Klein, Associate Professor of Music, has enjoyed a varied career as a violinist, educator and innovator. Author of the Practizma Practice Journal, her research is focused on technology assisted practice and musician practice psychology. She is the creator of the IOS app Clipza, and lectures regularly around the country on technology in the practice room.
Ms Klein has written articles on practicing for Strings Magazine, ASTA , the Instrumentalist Magazine and Violinist.com. Her grant-funded practice research involves a multidisciplinary team of health and technology researchers and has led to presentations around the country.
As a violinist, she has performed in orchestra and chamber music settings in Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy and Israel as well as throughout the United States. Currently she serves as violinist with both Trio 826, based in Iowa, and the trailblazer group Atlantic Chamber Ensemble (ACE) in Richmond. ACE has garnered national attention through its novel connections to audiences, recently detailed in Chamber Music Magazine.
As an orchestral musician, Ms. Klein served as principal second violin of the Richmond Symphony for five years. Other orchestral appointments have been with the Colorado Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Vermont Symphony (as acting concertmaster) and Rhode Island Philharmonic. Klein has played under the baton of notable conductors such as Marin Alsop, Sejii Ozawa, Yoel Levi, and Lorin Maazel. She participated in the music festivals at Tanglewood, Spoleto Italy, Shira, Kneisel Hall, and Nova Scotia Festival. She performs regularly at Wintergreen Performing Arts Festival, Cedar Valley Chamber Music Festival, and Loon Lake Live. She plays in the Richmond Symphony whenever her schedule allows.
Recording credits include One Ring Zero, Modern Groove Syndicate, Trio 826, Richmond Symphony, Virginia Symphony, and the Atlantic Chamber Ensemble.
A passionate educator, Prof. Klein was named 2018 Teacher of the Year by the Virginia ASTA chapter. In addition to her work at VCU, she has served on the violin faculty at the Governor’s School of Virginia Summer program, the Richmond Symphony Camp, and the Boston Youth Symphony. In 2010 she founded The Orchestra Project, a VCU/Richmond Symphony camp for talented string players, held every June on the campus of VCU.