Biography

Jessica Gottesman Oberlin began studying the violin at the age of three. As a member and soloist with the Betty Haag Academy’s Magical Strings of Youth, she performed in 11 countries on four continents, including venues from Bill Cosby’s Kids Say the Darndest Things, to the Vatican for Pope Benedict XVI, as a soloist for the American Brain Cancer Association, at the White House, and for presidents and numerous foreign dignitaries around the world. She was interviewed on national television in Australia and on WFMT classical radio in Chicago.  

Jessica graduated cum laude from Northwestern University in 2012, earning a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She studied under Gerardo Ribeiro, professor and coordinator of the Strings Program at the Bienen School of Music. While there, she played in the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, the Baroque Music Ensemble, the Contemporary Music Ensemble, and as a concertmaster for several Northwestern operas and conducting recitals. Through an undergraduate research grant, she spent several months in France studying a classical music program in the northern suburbs of Paris that was working to foster reconciliation among youth following the 2005 Paris youth riots. 

Jessica holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland, where she continued to explore the intersection between music and conflict resolution. She also enjoyed performing in the UMD symphony orchestra, for chamber recitals, and playing a full solo recital under continued violin study with Dr. James Stern, professor and coordinator of the Strings Division at UMD. Jessica continues to perform chamber music in the Washington, D.C. area.  

Jessica founded Oberlin Violin Studio to help adults transform their musical abilities, gain confidence in performing, and tap into their natural inner creativity through the violin. In this effort, she was inspired by Pure Barre, in which positive community plays a major role in promoting physical fitness. She believes that similarly, a community-focused approach to studying violin can help adults achieve greater gains in technique, become more well-rounded as musicians, and enjoy the journey of sharing beautiful music.