Our Orchestra Faculty
Ms. Courtney Vega–King began her violin studies at age six and has enjoyed playing the violin since the early 1990s. In her formative years, Ms. Vega–King participated in various honorary orchestras and summer programs. While earning her bachelor’s degree at Emory University, Ms. Vega–King served as assistant principal second violin with the Emory Symphony Orchestra. In her performances with the symphony, Ms. Vega–King has had the opportunity to be featured in a PBS special as well as to play at New York’s Lincoln Center.
Ms. Vega–King is deeply indebted to her many wonderful teachers, including Lisa Yancich of the Atlanta Symphony and Oliver Steiner, a violin professor at the Eastman School of Music for 20 years. While completing graduate work at the University of Georgia, Ms. Vega King studied with Valerie Gardner, Levon Ambartsumian and Shakhida Azimkhodjaeva.
Through a graduate assistantship to perform with ARCO Chamber Orchestra and UGA Symphony, Ms. Vega–King earned an M.M. degree in Violin Performance from the University of Georgia (2020). During her graduate work at UGA, Ms. Vega–King passed her degree exam with distinction and received the Director’s Excellence Award for exemplary scholarship, musicianship, service and leadership at the graduate level.
Ms. Vega–King received the Eckstein Merit Scholarship and a graduate assistantship to complete an M.M. in Instrumental Music Education at Northwestern University (2023). Ms. Vega–King performed with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra for the 2021-2022 season.
Ms. Vega–King has performed in orchestras throughout the southeast including the cities of Augusta, Greenville, and Asheville, among others. Most recently, Ms. Vega–King received a scholarship in 2023 to perform chamber music in Italy through Orvieto Musica.
Ms. Vega–King has maintained a private violin and viola studio since the mid-2000s. Her private students’ accomplishments include membership and leadership positions in many youth orchestras and competitive programs such as Atlanta Youth Symphony, Governor’s Honors Program, and concertmaster positions in both GMEA All-State and Cobb County Honor Orchestra.