Iris Wei

An active educator, Iris Wei maintains a violin studio of over forty students ages ranging from 3 to 18, teaches group classes, and coaches chamber music and orchestra sectionals in the Chicagoland area. 

She serves as faculty and String Department Co-Chair at the Merit School of Music and faculty at the Northwestern Music Academy.  Also a pianist, Iris switched her main focus to violin after being accepted as a scholarship student at Roosevelt University’s College of Performing Arts and has had the privilege of furthering her pedagogical studies with Michele George, Nancy Jackson, Ed Kreitman, Ann Montzka-Smelser, and Tom Wermuth. 

Iris has enjoyed performing with groups such as the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonic, Rockford Symphony, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.  Her greatest source of pride comes from guiding her students to become happy and healthy human beings—high-level musicians who are kind, know how to deal with adversity, and excel at whatever endeavors they pursue.  Aside from making music and teaching, Iris is an avid runner, food-lover, and cat mom.