His playing has been described as "eloquent" and "effortless" by The New York Times and he has been recognized worldwide as a violinist of rare quality, all of which was on display when  Leonidas Kavakos came to SFCM in October to work with students. 

"Getting to work with him was such a lucky and enjoyable experience," Jiayi Wang, one of three students who worked directly with Kavakos during his masterclass, said. "Just being in the room with someone who brings that much depth to music felt really special," she added. 

Kavakos works with a student.

Kavakos works regularly with the world's greatest orchestras and conductors and appears in recitals at world-renowned halls and festivals. He is represented by Opus 3 Artists, which the Conservatory acquired in 2020. SFCM heads a unique alliance of leading, independently operated music organizations including arts management companies Opus 3 and Askonas Holt  and record label Pentatone. Together, their work creates opportunities for students, artists, and audiences to develop and experience new ideas. This collaboration of industry giants led to 12 different events that benefited the student experience over the last year. 

Kavakos teaches a masterclass at SFCM.

During the class Kavakos compared a musician's creative freedom with a piece to that of a different kind of artist. "It's like a painter who paints the most unbelievable abstract painting," he told students. "But, he has it in the frame. You cannot paint outside the frame. Inside the frame you can do whatever."

"It was such a precious moment for me," Jeeihn Kim, a violin student working with Wonhee Bae, said. Kim was thrilled to work with "one of the greatest violinists in the world," adding that she learned "how to overcome nervousness through deep breathing."

Kavakos teaches in the Barbro Osher Recital Hall.

For Jiayi Wang, the biggest lesson was one of risk-taking, "He totally inspired me to lean into more singability and imagination in my playing. It's a small shift but it's already making my music feel more alive, which I'm so grateful for." 

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