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Individual lessons and group classes for students at any level.
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Bringing accessible, high-quality music education to Chicagoland communities.
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The highest level of achievement for Merit students in tuition-free, audition-based programs.
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Merit's supporters remove barriers to music education, ensuring access for Chicago's youth.
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Strings Classes, Lessons, & Orchestra
Whether you’re the first chair in your high school’s orchestra or are just getting started with music, Merit’s celebrated Strings faculty are here to help unlock your full potential.
For over 40 years, Merit students have made All-State, gone on to attend some of the country’s best music conservatories, pursued careers as teaching artists and performers, and gained the confidence to chase their dreams in music and beyond.
Merit offers Strings classes, ensembles, workshops, camps, and private lessons for the following instruments:
- Bass
- Cello
- Viola
- Violin
Programs for Musicians of All Levels
Hone your skills and technique, build confidence, and forge life-long friendships in group classes and ensembles. Beginners welcome!
Work one-on-one with skilled and supportive faculty to explore your individual talents and musical interests.
Join the best of Merit’s talented student musicians by auditioning for Merit’s prestigious tuition-free Conservatory.
Make friends, memories, and music all summer long with Merit’s line-up of camps, classes, workshops, and ensembles.
Watch Merit Strings Students in Action
Each year, Merit violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists, of all ages come together to perform in concerts at the Joy Faith Knapp Music Center and venues throughout Chicago.
Past performances include concerts at the Symphony Center, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Cultural Center, Lincoln Park Zoo, and the World Suzuki Convention in Masumoto, Japan.
Chicago's Finest Strings Faculty
“My role is to guide students through their many years at Merit, to offer them different encouraging paths, to lift them up when they are in doubt, and redirect them when they are losing strength. Thankfully, music is my greatest ally. Who can resist music’s beauty, its capacity to enter into everyone’s inner spirit? My students look back and realize their transformation through music. They look back and realize the immeasurable value of what Merit helped them achieve.”
Monica Lugo
Head of Merit’s Suzuki-Alegre Strings Ensemble
& Strings Faculty Member
Meet Our Faculty
Our celebrated teaching artists are working jazz, classical, and pop musicians who have toured nationally, led ensembles, and supported students in achieving ambitious goals. Committed to helping Merit students succeed in music and in life, our Strings faculty provide students with the immersive training, feedback, and mentorship they need to learn and grow.
