Meet our Faculty

CELLIST MELISSA BRUN is a professional cellist and freelance teaching artist. Holding a Bachelors of Music and a Performers Certificate from SUNY Purchase College Conservatory, she has recently been on faculty at Millersville University, UArts, and currently hosts her own private studio. She has performed and soloed with various orchestras and choral associations in the Philadelphia area, and manages the Chester County Youth Orchestra. Non-classically, she is a founding member of the chamber-folk sextet, The Sound Accord, and is a member of Irish trio, Maggie’s Boots. As a co-creator of the children’s music duo, Big Idea Committee, Melissa blends musical theatre vocals and live cello instrumentals to create an interactive and theatrical experience for kids ages 3-8 with everyone’s favorite musical friend, Karl the Cello. 

Also an avid pit musician, Melissa has performed at various professional theaters in the Philadelphia region (American Music Theater, Fulton Opera House, The Walnut Street Theater) has played with Broadway touring companies (Cinderella, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Matilda) and soloed with Broadway stars, Kristin Chenoweth and Jonathan Groff.

Melissa has been a String Clinician with D’Addario Orchestral since 2018, delivering “Strings 101,” a workshop dedicated to giving students and educators a toolkit to make educated choices in the strings and gear they use. Most recently, she has taken on the role of Supervisor, helping to oversee the Educational Outreach program.

Melissa lives in Phoenixville, PA, with her husband, Chris, daughter, Hazel, Karl the Cello, and cat, Mac.

VIOLINIST ALISSA JACKMAN is a multi-genre musician based out of New York City. You can catch her playing anything from classical to funk, jazz, fiddling, new music, or rock. Alissa performs with her acoustic as well as her 7-string electric Viper violin. Alissa is a music educator and an education activist. In addition to teaching her studio of private students and classroom music students, she has performed in multiple benefit concerts to help support music education, such as the Muzart World Foundation’s We Are Hope concert and various concerts for the Electrify Your Music Foundation.

Alissa has been on faculty at Strings Without Boundaries since 2019 and has also taught multiple Masterclasses at the Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp.

She received her BM in Violin Performance, studying under Cyrus Beroukhim, and her MA in Music Education from NYU Steinhardt. As a student, Alissa Jackman performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Symphony Space, and the LDS Conference Center. Since then, she frequently freelances with bands and other artists playing clubs and bars in NYC, such as Don’t Tell Mama’s and Sony Hall, and is an active studio musician. She has also appeared as a guest lecturer for the NYU String Pedagogy course for the past 3 years, speaking on Multi-Genre String Pedagogy.

FIDDLER ANNIKA AMSTUTZ lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. She is the Music Director of the Fiddle Orchestra of Western Massachusetts, a community orchestra for members of all abilities and ages. Annika's private students range in age from 5 to 85 and she brings her background as a classroom educator to support students. She regularly plays at contradances around the valley and especially enjoys leading open-band dances where amateur musicians can sit on stage and play along. As a fiddler player, Annika can be seen performing with a variety of bands and musical groups across the Pioneer Valley and throughout New England. Her fiddle playing in Bluegrass, Irish, and New England styles can be heard on the recordings of many local musicians as well as her recent duo CD, Old Favorites, recorded with cellist Daniel Plane. She is an active advocate of community music and loves playing fiddle with other musicians wherever she goes.

BLUEGRASS FIDDLER PATTIE KINLAW began playing the violin at age four.  She eventually received her Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogue Certification from East Carolina University, studying with Joanne Bath and Ara Gregorian.  Pattie is an extremely versatile musician and has a tremendous talent for fiddling as well as classical violin.  She has studied with fiddling legends Bobby Hicks and Mark O’Connor.  Pattie also has a passion for the education of young fiddlers; she holds her certification in the Mark O’Connor American Violin Method.  She has resided in Asheville, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee, has played on Broadway, and has helped start the Bluegrass Underground Project in McMinnville, TN.  Pattie has also made appearances at a variety of music venues on the east coast.  Pattie has made special guest appearances with famous and talented musicians including Don Helms, Bobby Osbourne, and Charlie Daniels.  She currently teaches at two private studios in North Carolina and is frequently invited to teach workshops throughout the United States for both fiddling and classical instruction.  She performs regularly in the eastern United States and is a member of multiple ensembles including the Trent River Chamber Players, The Long Bay Symphony in Myrtle Beach, SC, and bluegrass and Americana project the Lynda & Pattie Duo.  She loves spending time sailing on the coast with her husband.