Message Sent
Thank you for your inquiry. We will respond to you as soon as possible.
Ariel Lee '25, a DMA student in violin performance at the Shepherd School of Music, is passionate about making classical music relevant in today's media-focused world. "If you listen to the media, you might think classical music is dying," Ariel explained. "I don't think that's true, but I also think there is a lot we can do to reignite people's interest in the artform."
Ariel, who came to Rice after completing both her B.A. and M.A. in violin performance at Julliard, is building an impressive musical resume - one that makes her an ideal spokesperson for popularizing classical music.
"Rice has afforded me so many experiences to develop as a musician and teacher," Ariel said. "I have opportunities to teach, and my scholarship and stipend make my education possible. Last year, Rice even helped me travel to London and Morocco, where I was a guest performer."
This summer, she spent five weeks in Verbier, Switzerland, as a violinist for the Verbier Festival, a 30-year classical music tradition founded to create community between young artists and masters. This is her third year serving as concertmaster in the Verbier Festival Orchestra. "It's a lot of music to learn, but we get to work with amazing conductors," Ariel explained.
Rice also gave her access to an incredible instrument. For the 2023-2024 academic year, the Shepherd School loaned Ariel the "Kubelik" Stradivarious 1687. "I actually changed a lot as a player with the Strad. It opened up so many avenues for exploration," Ariel said. "With my own violin, I had to force the instrument to get the right sound. With the Strad, I was free with my musical choices, and I didn't have to worry about small technical challenges."
This fall, in her last year of academic coursework, Ariel will teach a course of her own design - a look at viral music and sounds on social media and an exploration of how classical music could achieve similar success within popular online platforms. This is part of her ongoing work to share classical music with larger audiences by incorporating it into popular culture.
Most recently she created a concert for the Texas Asia Society in Houston that programmed classical canons with popular music from diverse Asian cultures. "I think there is a lot of value in introducing classical music in combination with the familiar," Ariel explained. "My time at Rice has really helped me to focus on ways to make classical music come alive for others."