Violin virtuoso conducts master class with NNPS strings students
Published October 13, 2026
Renowned international concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine visited Newport News Public Schools to conduct an orchestra master class. She lit up the Warwick High School Auditorium playing pieces from classical to heavy metal, and giving feedback while playing alongside students.
Approximately 120 strings students from Menchville, Warwick and Woodside high schools attended the performance and workshop on October 12.
Barton Pine has performed as a soloist with major orchestras worldwide, including the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic and Vienna Symphony. Known for her groundbreaking historical research and diverse programming, she leads the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation, which expands access to classical music and promotes works by Black composers.
"Workshops are really valuable in terms of learning new techniques and playing in big groups," said Leslie Turner, a senior at Menchville High School who plays the violin. "Especially with groups like this, it's really important that your technique and articulation is good, and workshops are really useful for these types of things.
"You can go little bit by bit to really work out the issues and make it sound really nice. So I like workshops; I think they're fun."
Barton Pine performed several pieces and provided historical information about the featured music to open the event. David Gardner, a teacher at Warwick, joined her on Scottish fiddle selections.
Then students and their instruments formed a big workshop group where Barton Pine worked through sections of music at a time, providing specific tips and tricks while often demonstrating what she described.
"It's really cool; she plays really well," Turner said. "I asked her a question about double stop and she answered it for me. I thought it was really nice."
Just as with Barton Pine's own solo performance, students covered a string quartet piece from the 1770s, Scottish fiddle music and a heavy metal selection.
"Her visit offers our students a rare, direct learning experience with a top-tier international recording and performing artist," said Katie SheehanSmith, instructional supervisor for NNPS Visual and Performing Arts.
