Katherine Chernyak

Canadian violinist and violist Katherine Chernyak is an advanced Performance Studies student at Bard Conservatory. Born in Windsor, Ontario, she began violin at age seven with Ruth Wiebe. After relocating to upstate New York, she served as assistant concertmaster for the Binghamton Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO). She has soloed with BYSO and the Hartwick-SUNY Chamber Orchestra. Katherine has attended festivals such as the Eastern Music Festival, Round Top Festival Institute, Borromeo Music Festival, and the National Orchestral Institute (NOI). She substitutes with The Orchestra Now and the Woodstock Symphony Orchestra. She has had lessons with esteemed artists like Kristopher Tong, Simon Ganatra, Yeonathan Berick, and more. A dedicated educator, Katherine mentored at NOI in 2024 and is involved with Bard’s Music Mentorship Initiative. She has been assistant concertmaster of the Bard Conservatory Orchestra and concertmaster of the East West Ensemble, performing in the China Now Festival at Carnegie Hall. She has played in masterclasses for highly regarded musicians like Nikki Chooi, Joan Kwuon, and Adele Anthony. Katherine currently studies with Luosha Fang, Peter Winograd, and Marka Gustavsson, holding bachelor’s degrees in music and biology from Bard. Prior to Bard, she studied at Hartwick College with Uli Speth.