Erica Kiesewetter is a violinist, conductor, and educator who serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at the Bard College Conservatory of Music, where she also teaches Orchestral Practice. Alongside maintaining an active violin studio, she works with three orchestras and teaches a variety of courses, including violin technique, Silent Strings, and Strings for Conductors and Composers.

A student of Ivan Galamian at the Juilliard School, Ms. Kiesewetter quickly established herself in New York’s musical life. She performed extensively as a chamber musician with the Colorado Quartet and as a founding member of the Leonardo Trio. She later became a sought-after concertmaster, simultaneously holding that role with seven orchestras, including the American Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Orchestra of New York, and the New York Pops.

As a recording artist, she has appeared on more than 150 recordings with the American Symphony Orchestra, including a recording of the Violin Concerto conducted by Leon Botstein. Her discography also includes numerous chamber music recordings with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and a Grammy nomination for Song of the Stars. She has toured internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Solisti New York, and the Leonardo Trio, and has appeared regularly at summer festivals, most recently at the Round Top Festival Institute.

In the past decade, Ms. Kiesewetter expanded her artistic work into conducting, studying with Harold Farberman. She currently serves as associate conductor of the Bard College Community Orchestra. Prior to joining Bard, she taught at Columbia University and has given masterclasses internationally, including at the Open Academy.

Beyond violin and string pedagogy, she is deeply interested in helping performers manage stage fright and performance anxiety. Her Mind over Nerves workshops have supported musicians in developing confidence, focus, and freedom on stage.