Stefanos Melas, PhD draws on extensive experience in classical music and higher education. He has performed as a violinist across Australia, Europe, and the United States at esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall. Stefanos is passionate about supporting young musicians in achieving their artistic aspirations in his role as Assistant Director of Admissions at the Curtis Institute of Music.

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Stefanos previously worked in admissions at the Yale School of Music. He also served as the Classical and Jazz Music Content Specialist for YouTube Music, where he managed global music programming and featured content for millions of users. As an educator, he has taught on the adjunct violin faculty at The University of Queensland and New York University, and has also worked with students through the CUNY Research Foundation. His diverse performance background includes collaborations with artists including Bruce Springsteen and The Eagles.

 

Stefanos attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he received the Presidential Merit Award. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts and a Master of Music degree from New York University. He went on to earn a Professional Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a Presidential Scholarship recipient. He completed his PhD in Music Performance at The University of Queensland in Australia on a full scholarship sponsored by the Australian Government. His thesis on Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade featured the participation of Jamie Bernstein, Glenn Dicterow, and Midori. 

 

Stefanos had the opportunity to study the Serenade with Midori in Los Angeles and to conduct an analysis of Bernstein’s original manuscript at the Library of Congress. His research culminated in a performance of the Serenade with The University of Queensland Symphony Orchestra at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, presented as part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Concert Series. He has also pursued summer studies at the Aspen Music Festival with Masao Kawasaki and the Encore School for Strings with Linda Cerone. His principal teachers were Shmuel Ashkenasi, Alexander Barantschik, Robert Chen, Sonja Foster, and Naoko Tanaka.

 

Stefanos recently earned a Certificate in Arts Management from New York University. Originally from Atlanta and based in Philadelphia, he is also a citizen of Greece.