Beyond the Studio: Second-Generation Voices on Karen Tuttle Coordination

Karen Tuttle’s Coordination has profoundly influenced generations of violists, emphasizing physical ease, emotional awareness, and expressive authenticity. While many of Tuttle’s direct students are now established figures in the field, a growing number of second-generation teachers are extending her legacy— interpreting and evolving her ideas to meet the needs of contemporary students and performance environments.

This panel features several of these second-generation Coordination teachers— violists who studied with Tuttle protégés including Susan Dubois, Jeffrey Irvine, Michelle LaCourse, Lynne Ramsey, Karen Ritscher, and Carol Rodland. Drawing on their diverse experiences as performers and educators, the panelists will reflect on how they integrate Coordination principles into their teaching, how they adapt these concepts for students with varied backgrounds and needs, and how they maintain the spirit of Tuttle’s work while allowing it to grow.

The conversation will consider what it means to inherit an important pedagogical lineage, how to incorporate Coordination into technical and musical instruction into the studio, and how Tuttle’s ideas have evolved as they are passed down through different institutions and cultural settings. Panelists will share practical strategies and explore how to preserve the integrity of Tuttle’s approach while allowing space for individual interpretation and development, and explore how the method resonates with today’s students.

The session will include live demonstrations of teaching strategies and exercises, in addition to moderated discussion and audience Q&A. It aims to engage performers, teachers, and students alike in a dynamic conversation about the continued relevance— and creative future— of Tuttle Coordination in the 21st century.