Celebrated Violinist Margaret Batjer Appointed Director of Colburn School’s Music Academy and Joins Conservatory of Music Violin Faculty

Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and a renowned violin soloist, chamber musician, and teacher, Batjer will shape the artistic vision for the Music Academy and lead the development of the program through its second decade. Established in 2010, the Music Academy prepares high school-age musicians to enter top conservatory programs worldwide and for careers in chamber music, orchestral performance, and as soloists.

“We are thrilled to welcome Margaret Batjer as the Director of Colburn School’s Music Academy,” said Colburn President and CEO Sel Kardan. “Her multifaceted career, international profile, and long history with the School make her the perfect fit for this pivotal role. She has a deep understanding of what exceptional young artists need at the pre-college stage of their development and her vision will undoubtedly enhance our Music Academy, solidifying its position as the foremost training ground for exceptional pre-collegiate musicians.”

Drawing on her experience as a soloist with America’s leading orchestras and an active chamber musician and recording artist, Batjer will plan performance activities, including chamber music, and oversee the artistic and academic development of students in the Music Academy. She will continue to lead Academy Virtuosi, an elite conductorless chamber orchestra composed of talented young Music Academy musicians which has been featured in performances alongside major artists like Anne Akiko Meyers and Ray Chen. Batjer will also teach a studio of students in both the Music Academy and the School’s Conservatory of Music.

“Margaret’s artistic accomplishments and extraordinary professional experience, including over 25 years as Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, make her a stellar addition to the Conservatory of Music,” said Provost Nate Zeisler. “We are delighted to have her join violin faculty members Robert Lipsett, Martin Beaver, and the other members of our renowned string faculty in the Conservatory in addition to taking an expanded role in the Music Academy.”

“I am honored to assume leadership of Colburn’s world-class Music Academy and to join the exceptional string faculty in the Conservatory of Music,” said Batjer. “It is a privilege to guide and inspire young musicians within such a prestigious institution, known for its commitment to artistic excellence in music education. I look forward to continuing to foster a community where young artists can thrive and fulfill their potential in the world of classical music.”

About the Music Academy

Colburn’s Music Academy provides pre-college training for exceptional young performers who want to dedicate themselves to a career in music. The comprehensive curriculum includes private instruction with leading faculty, studio classes and chamber music—including the Academy Virtuosi—as well as music theory and history, ear training, and enrichment studies in career development and personal presentation skills. The Music Academy offers a residential component and academic coursework for high school students in addition to skill-based training in the areas of stage presence, musician health, career development, and more. Students perform regularly, both on campus and throughout Los Angeles, and participate in master classes. Over the past 13 years, Music Academy alumni have attended top conservatories, prestigious music programs, and Ivy League universities, with significant scholarship support.

About Margaret Batjer
Margaret Batjer has served as concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) since 1998, where she also serves as Director of Chamber Music. She is also renowned as a violin soloist, chamber musician and teacher, and has established herself as a versatile and respected artist worldwide.

Batjer has appeared as soloist with America’s leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Batjer has also performed with leading European ensembles such as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra (of Ireland), Berlin Symphony Orchestra and the Hallé Orchestra. She has performed at many of the great halls across the continents such as La Scala, Carnegie Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Suntory Hall in Japan.

An esteemed chamber musician, Batjer was a longtime participant at the Marlboro Music Festival. Summers have found her performing at the  La Jolla Summerfest, the Sarasota Music Festival, Vancouver Chamber Music Festival, Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival and abroad at the Naples, Cremona and the Salzburg Festival.  In 2020, she formed the Los Angeles Piano Trio with colleagues Fabio Bidini and Andrew Shulman. Batjer has collaborated with such notables as Salvatore Accardo, Maurizio Pollini, Yo-Yo Ma, Jeffrey Kahane, Radu Lupu, Peter Serkin, Wu Han, David Finckel, Anne-Marie McDermott and Chris Thile.

Batjer has enjoyed an extensive recording career over the last several decades. Her most recent recording with LACO includes the live premiere of the Pierre Jalbert Violin Concerto, and works by Bach, Part and Vasks released on the BIS label. She recorded the Bach Concerto for Two Violins with Salvatore Accardo and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe for the Philips label, and a 2003 Deutsche Grammophon recording pairing Batjer and Hilary Hahn as soloists with Jeffrey Kahane conducting LACO. She has also made numerous chamber music recordings on the EMI, Nuova Era and BMG labels.

Batjer is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Ivan Galamian and David Cerone. She held the position of Adjunct Full Professor of Violin at the USC Thornton School of Music for 20 years and will be resigning in 2026.

About the Colburn School

A performing arts institution located in the heart of Los Angeles, the Colburn School trains students from beginners to those about to embark on professional careers. The academic units of the School provide a complete spectrum of music and dance education united by a single philosophy: that all who desire to study music or dance should have access to top-level instruction.

• The diploma- and degree-granting Conservatory of Music is distinguished by a unique all-scholarship model, renowned faculty, and outstanding performance opportunities. It prepares the very highest level of collegiate musicians for professional careers.
• The Music Academy is a highly selective training program for gifted young pre-collegiate musicians, designed to prepare students for conservatory study and performing careers at the highest levels of achievement. This residential program balances performance, musical instruction, and academics.
• The Community School of Performing Arts welcomes students of all ages, from seven months old to adults. It offers over 120 classes each year in orchestral instruments, piano, guitar, voice, jazz, music theory, drama, and ensembles including orchestra, choir, and chamber music.
• The Trudl Zipper Dance Institute develops performers of all levels, from aspiring professionals in the Dance Academy to beginners starting in Youth Dance. Students of all levels receive training in ballet, tap, and modern genres as part of a comprehensive dance education.
• Created to serve all units of the School, the Center for Innovation and Community Impact empowers the musical and dance leaders of tomorrow by nurturing students’ passion and ability to serve their communities, preparing them for sustainable careers, and embracing the development of new ideas. The Center embodies Colburn’s commitment to developing young artists with the curiosity, skills, and commitment to make a difference in their field.

Each year, more than 2,000 students from around the world come to Colburn to benefit from the renowned faculty, exceptional facilities, and focus on excellence that unites the community.

The Colburn School recently broke ground on the Frank Gehry-designed Colburn Center, a multi-faceted campus expansion of the Colburn School. Located across the street from the School’s existing campus at the intersection of Olive and Second Streets, the Colburn Center will enable the School to expand its mission of presenting programs for the public. Gehry’s design includes a 1,000-seat in-the-round concert hall named Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, five professional-sized dance studios including a 100-seat studio theater, and gardens that bring fresh air and green spaces to the downtown landscape.

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