Kurt Sassmannshaus

Kurt Sassmannshaus
Professional Summary
 
Kurt Sassmannshaus is one of today’s most influential violin pedagogues, holding the distinguished Dorothy Richard Starling Chair for Classical Violin at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). His students have won top prizes at major international competitions and have gone on to become celebrated soloists, chamber musicians, concertmasters, and professors at leading conservatories in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
 
Starling Prep
A dedicated mentor to young talent, Sassmannshaus founded the Starling Prep program in 1987, a pioneering pre-collegiate program designed for exceptionally gifted string players. The program has earned a global reputation for its rigorous training and outstanding performance opportunities, particularly through the Starling Chamber Orchestra, which he conducts. Graduates have achieved remarkable successes, winning Emmy Awards, the Naumburg Competition, and top prizes at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. The orchestra has performed across Europe, China, Korea, and at New York’s Lincoln Center, receiving critical acclaim for both recordings and live performances. The program has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and on the nationally syndicated Public Radio International program From the Top.
 
ViolinMasterclass.com: Revolutionizing Violin Pedagogy
In 2004, Sassmannshaus launched www.violinmasterclass.com, a groundbreaking free online platform offering video instruction on all aspects of violin playing. With over 20 million hits annually, it has made him the most widely recognized violin teacher in history. Dubbed the “King of Online Violin Tutorials” by The Strad magazine, his website has broken down barriers to elite violin instruction. As Sassmannshaus explains, “Now, a student in Kenya, Peru, or the Philppines can receive world-class violin instruction without the limitations of geography or cost.” The site now also offers live online lessons with Sassmannshaus and his colleagues.
 
Global Influence & Summer Festivals
From 2005 to 2016, Sassmannshaus directed the Great Wall International Music Academy in Beijing, an elite summer festival for young string soloists. Each year, from China and beyond participated in intensive training with an international faculty that included the American String Quartet and professors from leading conservatories worldwide. Many of these students now hold principal positions in major orchestras and faculty appointments at top institutions. Since 2017 Sassmannshaus teaches at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine every summer.
 
The Sassmannshaus Tradition
Continuing the pedagogical legacy of his father, Egon Sassmannshaus, he continues to expand the catalogue of the Sassmannshaus Tradition, Europe’s best-selling method for beginner string players. The method, available for violin, viola, cello, and double bass, has been translated into multiple languages, including Chinese and Japanese, making high-quality string pedagogy accessible to students worldwide.
 
Education & Masterclasses
Sassmannshaus studied under Igor Ozim in Cologne before earning his Master’s degree at Juilliard as a scholarship student of Dorothy DeLay. He won first prize at the Colmar International Chamber Music Competition in France and previously held teaching positions at Sarah Lawrence College and the University of Texas at Austin before joining CCM full-tim

BM: Cologne University of Music Cologne, Germany, 1977 (Violin)

MM: The Juilliard School New York, NY, 1979 (Violin)