Violin
Described by Strad Magazine as “Particularly impressive for her surpassing degree of
imagination and vibrant sound,” violinist Deborah Buck has built a rich and varied musical career
as a chamber musician, concertmaster, professor, soloist, and artistic leader.
Ms. Buck was a member of the Lark Quartet for seventeen years. This quartet was recognized
especially for its extensive commissioning and for pushing the boundaries of what a traditional
string quartet could do by being one of the first quartets to feature added percussion, clarinet,
voice, and piano. The Lark recorded works by prize-winning American composers like John
Harbsion, Jennifer Higdon, Aaron J. Kernis, and Paul Moravec; many of which are included in
their extensive discography. In 2021, Ms. Buck enjoyed new collaborations with many artists as
a guest chamber musician for the Four Seasons in Music/Sands Point, NY, Music for Food/ NYC,
and looks forward to performances at the Telluride Music Festival (CO) and the Off the Hook
music festival (CO) in 2022.
In 2019, Ms. Buck was awarded a Music Faculty Incentive Grant by the SUNY Purchase
Conservatory that facilitated two commissions: one for solo violin by John Harbison called
DeBut, and another for violin and piano called Fantasia on Beethoven’s Spring Sonata by Bruce
Adolphe. Subsequently, in October 2021, Ms. Buck joined Grammy-winning producer, Silas
Brown to record the Suite for Solo Violin by John Harbison.
As recitalist, Ms. Buck has performed at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. and over the
airways via broadcasts of the Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago for WFMT and “Sunday’s Live”
in Los Angeles for KKGO and at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Ms. Buck also recorded for the
motion picture and television industry. Her violin solos for television helped breathe life back
into the re-mastered American Silent Film classic, “The Scarlet Letter” (Turner Classic Movies).
Her National television debut came by way of a feature guest spot on the Family Channel’s, “It
Takes Two” hosted by Dick Clark. Ms. Buck looks forward to upcoming recitals with pianist, Orli
Shaham at the Kauffman Music Center’s Musical Storefront series (NYC). In addition, Ms. Buck is
also a frequent guest soloist, having been featured with Lincoln Center’s Little Orchestra Society,
West Virginia Symphony, Stamford Symphony, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.
For the past five years, Ms. Buck has led the Stamford Symphony (CT) as its Acting
Concertmaster. From 2008-2013, she was the tenured concertmaster of the Brooklyn
Philharmonic. Ms. Buck has held concertmaster positions with the St. Matthew’s Chamber
Orchestra (L.A.) and the Los Angeles Opera Guild, as well as many other noteworthy ensembles
in the Tri-State and California.
Ms. Buck’s past awards have included a Los Angeles Philharmonic-sponsored Corwin Foundation
Grant, a Leni Fe Bland Career Grant and was named a winner of the National Contemporary
Record Society Competition.
Since 2014, Ms. Buck has been Assistant Professor of Violin at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of
Music where she is also the Head of Strings and Chamber Music. As a co-director, concert series
curator, and artistic leader, Ms. Buck has had the honor of running the Kinhaven Music School in
Weston, Vermont with her husband since 2011.
A native of Los Angeles, Ms. Buck spent her primary years studying with Michael and Irina
Tseitlin. She was a recipient of both a Starling scholarship and a Martin Kaltman Foundation
scholarship at the Juilliard School where she was a student of Dorothy DeLay and Masao
Kawasaki. She was awarded the Jascha Heifetz Violin Scholarship by the University of Southern
California where she earned a Master of Music Degree as a student of Robert Lipsett.
www.DeborahBuck.net
