Traditional Violin Faculty; Chamber Music Coach
HCD Music
The Hartt School, Hartt Community DivisionEducation
DMA, University of Colorado
AD, University of Colorado
MM, Yale University
PC, Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien
BM, New England Conservatory
BS, Tufts University
Honored by the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame for her work in the performing arts, violinist and educator Tina Lee Hadari has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in diverse venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Vienna Konzerthaus to New Haven’s Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen to K-12 classrooms all over the country. As a member of the Vinca Quartet, an ensemble hailed by the New York Times as “stunning” and “musicians worth keeping an eye on,” and a prizewinner of the Fischoff, Plowman, and Borciani Chamber Music competitions, she has toured both the U.S. and abroad to critical acclaim.
Committed to bringing communities together through her artistry, she is the Founder and former Executive Artistic Director of Music Haven, a nationally-awarded community-based arts organization that anchors a string quartet to the lowest-income neighborhoods of New Haven to provide tuition-free, intensive musical instruction for “at promise” youth.
Most recently she served as the National Program Director of ArtistYear, where she created and implemented a comprehensive professional development curriculum for Teaching Artist Fellows and led the program strategy for all service locations.
As the Director of Music, Arts, and Citizenship for the Brass City Charter School in Waterbury, CT, she also built a K-8 Citizen Artist curriculum to enhance the school’s El-Sistema inspired daily music program.
Tina has also served on the faculties of the 92nd Street Y, Choir Academy of Harlem, Opus 118, Apple Hill Chamber Music Center, Point Counterpoint Chamber Music, the Neighborhood Music School, and Peaks to Plains Suzuki Institute.
She holds a BM from New England Conservatory, a BA from Tufts University, a MM from the Yale School of Music, and a DMA from the University of Colorado.
She has served on the board of MusAid, an organization dedicated to expanding the capacity of music organizations in developing countries, and regularly mentors emerging teaching artists at the Yale School of Music.
Teaching Philosophy
As a teaching artist, I always strive to create a culture of joy and engagement by building relationships first. While musicianship, technique, creativity, and communication are all priorities for me when I teach, my highest priority is to get to know my students and understand who they are and what makes them come alive. Learning about my students’ interests, challenges, and dreams allows me to make the music I teach them relevant to their lives and the world they live in today.
Deeply committed to equity, access, and culturally responsive teaching, I view my students’ cultures, languages, and lived experiences as assets as I mentor them to strive towards excellence. I am passionate about cultivating curiosity alongside my students and model continuous learning by continually engaging in self-reflection and trying new things.
Because I believe studying music helps us make connections and broadens and deepens how we think and feel, I always start by first asking young musicians what and how they want to communicate before helping them develop the technical skills that enables them to express their ideas.
Through these practices, I give my students the support they need to better understand who they are and help them cultivate their voice and the unique gifts they have to offer the world.