Instructor Bio
Deborah Barrett Price
Part-time Instructor – Chamber Orchestra
About
Regarded as an innovative pedagogue and versatile performer, Deborah Barrett Price shares her passion for music and movement in a variety of venues. Her passion began early, in her parents' living room playing chamber music on her great grandfather's violin with her siblings and father, and studying and performing dance under the mentorship of dancers and musicians from the New York City Ballet. The culmination of this life of joyful connection to others through music and movement is embodied in the message Debbie frequently shares with musicians in The Chamber Music Connection (CMC), a nonprofit organization she founded in 1992: "Breathe together, move together, play together."
In recognition of her work as a chamber music entrepreneur, pedagogue, and performer, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory recognized Debbie with their Alumni Achievement Award, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center with their Award for Extraordinary Service to Chamber Music, and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra with their Community Educator of the Year Award. She has also received multiple nominations for the Ohio Governor's Award for Arts Education and Arts Administration. CMC ensembles under her mentorship have medaled in the St. Paul String Quartet Competition, Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Coltman National Chamber Music Competition, Chicago Chamber Music Competition, and WDAV Young Artist Competition, and have received features on NPR's From the Top, including the Emmy Award winning Carnegie Hall series, and by CMS in Alice Tully Hall.
A respected performer, Debbie currently serves as principal violist the Worthington Chamber Orchestra and is an Artist-in-Residence at the Caroga Lake Music Festival. She has directed, conducted, and performed in festivals throughout Europe including performances at Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Beethoven Festival in Prague, and on tour with Caroga Arts and CMC in Switzerland. For over a decade, she served as the co-conductor of the Cleveland Institute of Music Youth Camerata Strings and as the music director of the Women-In-Music String Sinfonia. Debbie is a featured guest conductor for special events at the Caroga Lake Music Festival and conducted the debut of Michael Bacon's Cello Concerto with cellist Sara Saint Ambrosia in the summer 2022. Debbie recently completed her first year serving as the conductor of the Chamber Orchestra at Ohio Wesleyan University.
In addition to CMC and OWU, Debbie serves on the faculty of Denison University, is a Yamaha Certified String Educator Clinician, a frequent guest artist for festivals, and has given numerous presentations at music schools and national conferences. Articles highlighting her unique teaching style are published in American Music Teacher, Journal of American Viola Society, Keyboard Companion Magazine, American String Teacher, Chamber Music America, Worthington Spotlight, Voyage Today Magazine, and Music Today YouTube interview with host Keitaro Harada. Her pedagogy rehearsal techniques are now available in a video series, Breathe Together, Move Together, Play Together, online through iClassical Academy, based in Switzerland.
Debbie resides in Worthington Ohio with her husband, Tim, and enjoys collaborating and performing with her daughter, violist Stephanie Price-Wong, son-in-law, violinist David Wong, and son, cellist Kyle Price, Founder and Artistic Director of the Caroga Arts Collective in Caroga Lake, NY. Debbie also enjoys sharing her passion for music with her grandson, Felix, named in honor of the composer, Mendelssohn, of course.