Lisa Gray

Lisa Gray is an accomplished violinist and dedicated teacher. Lisa has been a member of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra in New London, CT since 2001. Lisa was honored to join the Stamford Symphony Orchestra in 2016-17 through a fellowship program. She enjoyed playing 2 seasons with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and in February 2005, Lisa had the privilege to solo with the Coast Guard Band. She also plays for the Salt March Opera, Con Brio, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Chorus, and the Mystic River Chorale.

Lisa enjoys her role as educator at the Groton Middle School as the orchestra director and general music teacher. Lisa was delighted to join the faculty at the Thames Valley Music School in New London, CT in 2015 where she teaches Suzuki violin and conducted the Beginning Strings Orchestra. She maintains a private studio, taught at Music and Arts in Waterford and was a faculty member of the Community Music School in Essex for over 10 years. She has mentored students as a visiting artist at the Waterford and Groton High School orchestras and the Eastern Connecticut Youth Symphony Orchestra. She was a founding teacher of the Music City Strings program located in New London. In addition to orchestral playing, Lisa performs frequently throughout Connecticut and Rhode Island in solo and chamber music recitals often collaborating with other great musicians from traditional string quartet to guitar to harp and to voice. She was an active member of the Riverside String Quartet who performed regularly around Southeastern Connecticut. Lisa’s chamber music skill were further enhanced through the 20/20 Chamber Music program at the Hartt School. This program provided opportunities to work in a variety of chamber ensembles with coaching from members of the New York Philharmonic and the Julliard Quartet in addition to a full scholarship to the Hartt School.

Lisa began her violin studies at the age of five in the Suzuki program with Harriette Hurd and Ronda Cole and continued on to attend the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY where she studied with Mitchell Stern and Ilya Kaler. She graduated in May 2001 with a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance. Lisa returned to school graduating in May 2017 from the Hartt School of Music with a Master of Music in Violin Performance with Suzuki Pedagogy Emphasis where she studied with Katie Lansdale, Teri Einfeldt and Christie Felsing. This brought her playing and teaching to even greater heights. In 2018, Lisa continued her education at the University of Bridgeport earning a Master of Science with Education emphasis.

Lisa is grateful for the support of her husband and three children.

Favorite Composer or Era:
I have always enjoyed the Romantic era. Recently, I’m digging grooves from current jazz violinists.

What inspires you to play:
The joy and personal satisfaction I get from playing music with others. I feel a sense of community and connection with fellow musicians almost instantly when we discover music together. I don’t even need to know them previously. A bond is forged from the first note whether the music is a struggle, simple, or anywhere in between.

Hobby:
Soccer Mom

Favorite Quote:
“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” – Thomas Merton