Alisha Stafford - Violin

Alisha Stafford is a violin and piano teacher in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Alisha graduated from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Music in Applied Music (Violin) and a minor in Legal Studies in 2024. In her time at Eastman, Alisha was a member of the Avant String Quartet, performing for the community as part of the Eastman-To-Go program.  She also performed in the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, the Eastman Philharmonia, Eastman Studio Orchestra, and the Empire Film and Media Ensemble. Outside of performance, Alisha taught violin lessons to elementary school children as part of the Strings for Success program at the Center for Youth. Alisha had been awarded a Certificate of Achievement on behalf of the Mayor of the City of Rochester and the Black Heritage Committee for her “exceptional leadership” and “unwavering dedication” for students’ success of the Strings for Success program.  

Along her career, Alisha Stafford has performed with various orchestras, including Orchestra Omaha and York River Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she has attended prestigious music festivals, which includes Center Stage Strings at the University of Michigan, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Trentino Music Festival in Mezzano, Italy. Her teachers have included Ruth Meints at Omaha Conservatory of Music, Andréa Picard Boecker at the Peabody Institute, Professor Ara Gregorian at East Carolina University, and, notably, Professor Renée Jolles at the Eastman School of Music. Currently, Alisha loves teaching her private students and the children at the transitional housing, Natasha House, as part of their CHAMPS children’s program for the creative arts.