Jen O'Konski, violin

Jennifer O’Konski began studying violin with the Suzuki method at age three and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance from the State University of New York at Purchase College, where she studied with Laurie Smukler. She had a two year internship with world renowned Suzuki pedagogue William Starr and is registered in all ten books for violin with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Jennifer has explored and studied different genres of music including jazz violin, various fiddle styles and has also performed with numerous orchestras and ensembles.

Jennifer started teaching in 1998 and has been invited to teach at workshops and festivals in Colorado, Washington, New York, Michigan, Connecticut, Illinois, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. She began teaching Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) music classes for infants and toddlers with Suzuki Strings of Denver before becoming a faculty member at Hope Academy of Music and the Arts in Pittsburgh, PA. Jennifer continues to find joy in helping parents foster communication skills and strengthen relationships with their children through these interactive, musical experiences.

“Ms. Jen” lives in Wilmington with her husband and their Goldendoodle puppy, Lucius.