Kurt Munstedt

Violinist Kurt Munstedt has been a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra since 2023, and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra since 2025. He was previously Assistant Principal second violin of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and Principal second violin of the Boston Festival Orchestra. While in New Orleans, Kurt taught violin at the University of New Orleans, and founded its quartet-in-residence, The Lott String Quartet. He founded the period-performance collective Rogue Baroque and the crossover quartet Radio Bird.

Originally from Needham, Massachusetts, he holds Bachelor of Music degrees in violin and audio recording from the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), and a Masters degree from Carnegie Mellon University. His principal teachers include Joel Smirnoff and Andres Cardenes. By studying with these mentors, Kurt inherited a historic legacy of violin playing that can be traced from Dorothy Delay and Joseph Gingold, to Ysaye, Wienawski, and even Corelli. Kurt is dedicated to teaching these traditions to the next generation.  As a trained Suzuki teacher, he strives to connect to every student individually, ensuring that music inspires and enriches each student's life.