Private
Violin
The cornerstone of our studio. Rigorous, joyful instruction grounded in tone, posture, and musicianship — for ages five through adult.
Duluth, Minnesota · Established 1998
The art of strings, taught with intention.
A conservatory-style academy on the shore of Lake Superior — nurturing musicians from a child’s first bow stroke to the conservatory stage.
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Tone, posture, musicianship
A conservatory on the North Shore
Serious instruction, in a place that loves music.
For more than twenty-five years, Duluth Strings Academy has taught the violin family with the rigor of a conservatory and the warmth of a neighborhood studio.
Every student — whether four or seventy-four — studies one-to-one with a faculty artist, performs regularly, and grows inside a community that takes their music as seriously as they do.
Faculty-artist instruction
All ages & levels
Instruments provided
Read our story
What we teach
Programs for every stage of the journey.
Private lessons across the string family, plus ensembles and musicianship — chosen to fit each student’s age, goals, and pace.
Private
Viola
The warm voice at the heart of the ensemble. Dedicated viola pedagogy, alto-clef fluency, and a repertoire all its own.
Private
Cello
From first open strings to the great concertos. Lessons that build a singing tone and a confident, relaxed left hand.
Private
Double Bass
The foundation of every string section. Arco and pizzicato instruction across classical and jazz idioms, with bass-sized everything.
Private
Harp
A rare specialty on the North Shore. Lever and pedal harp instruction in a calm, resonant studio with instruments provided.
Ensemble
Chamber Music
Coached quartets, trios, and duos. The art of listening, leading, and breathing together — culminating in seasonal salon concerts.
From first note to final bow
A path that carries students from curiosity to artistry.
Structured levels, regular performance, and faculty who know when to push and when to listen.
See the pathway
The DSA difference
Why families choose us.
- 01
One-to-one with faculty artists
No rotating assistants. Every student learns directly from a performing, degreed teacher who stays with them as they grow.
- 02
Performance woven throughout
Recitals, salon concerts, and masterclasses each season build confidence and stage-craft from the very first year.
- 03
Musicianship, not just notes
Theory, ear-training, and chamber music are part of the studio — so students understand the music, not only how to play it.
- 04
A genuine community
Lending instruments, family events, and a faculty that knows every name. Music is better together.
- 25+
- Years on the North Shore
- 200+
- Students each season
- 12
- Faculty artists
- 4
- Recitals every year
Our faculty
Artists who teach, teachers who perform.
A small, dedicated faculty of working musicians — chosen for artistry and for the patience to nurture it in others.
Violin
Dr. Elena Marchetti
Artistic Director · Violin
A former concertmaster of the Lakeshore Chamber Orchestra, Elena holds a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music and has taught on the North Shore for two decades.
Chamber Music
Marcus Lindgren
Cello · Chamber Music
Marcus performs across the Upper Midwest and coaches our chamber program. His students have advanced to conservatories from Oberlin to McGill.
Foundations
Aiko Tanaka
Viola · Foundations
A specialist in early-strings pedagogy, Aiko leads our Foundations cohort and brings warmth, patience, and Suzuki training to every young musician.
Theory
David Whitefeather
Double Bass · Theory
Equally at home in the symphony and the jazz club, David teaches bass across idioms and directs our musicianship and theory curriculum.
Our daughter walked in barely able to hold a bow and played a concerto on the Sacred Heart stage three years later. The faculty here changed her life.