Press kit

Dr. Erika Burns is a violinist and educator dedicated to helping musicians develop artistic independence and play with physical freedom. She champions anatomy and kinesiological-informed approaches to violin pedagogy in order to better prepare violinists for careers in teaching and support current private studio teachers.

Born from her struggles with chronic pain and musculoskeletal injuries, Erika’s doctoral dissertation, “Rethinking Violin Pedagogy: A Handbook for Teaching Violin from a Movement-Based Perspective,” investigates how violinists can incorporate movement education principles from somatic disciplines and sports in the music studio. Her research was a finalist in the University of Oklahoma’s 3M Thesis Competition. Erika is now one of a few musicians in North America certified as a Franklin Method Educator. She teaches principles of healthy movement, anatomy, and somatic exercises to musicians in workshops and private sessions.

As a soloist, Erika has appeared with the Everett Symphony, the University of Oklahoma Civic Orchestra, and Icicle Creek Chamber Orchestra. She is a past winner of the Western Washington University Music Competition in honor of Virginia Glover. Erika’s lifelong love of collaboration and chamber music grew from playing violin-piano duos with her mom nightly throughout childhood. As a 2018 Emerging Artist Fellow at Garth Newel Music Center, she performed chamber music throughout the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. She is proud to have trained additionally at Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, Icicle Creek Chamber Music Institute, Duo526 Sonata Seminar, and ARIA International Summer Academy where she performed with renowned flutist Judith Mendenhall.

Erika appeared as a featured guest artist with the University of Oklahoma School of Dance in the world premiere of “Sand”, a new ballet commissioned by the 2018 Puterbaugh Festival of International Literature and Culture, and the Oklahoma premiere of Sympatico. As an orchestral musician, Erika has played with Fort Smith Symphony and Tulsa Opera. She can be heard on Fort Smith Symphony’s most recent recording of Florence Price’s Symphonies no. 1 and 4.

Currently, Erika maintains a private violin studio in the Seattle area. She previously taught applied violin and beginning string methods at the University of Oklahoma and has served on the faculty at the Northwest Music Retreat and Pipestone String Camp. Erika holds performance degrees from the University of Oklahoma (DMA, MM) and Western Washington University (BM, magna cum laude). Her principal teachers include Dr. Min-Jeong Koh, Hal Grossman, and Walter Schwede. When she’s not playing or teaching, Erika enjoys long walks, copious amounts of loose-leaf tea, and watching soccer and figure skating competitions. Connect with Erika on Instagram @erikaburnsviolin or visit her website, www.erikaburnsviolin.com.