Adjunct Faculty
Areas of Expertise: Violin, Viola, Chamber Music
Violinist and violist John Vaida enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. He maintains an active career performing across the United States and Europe, collaborating with nationally and internationally renowned artists. Mr. Vaida performs and teaches at festivals including the Killington Music Festival and the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico, and can be heard frequently on regional radio and television. A native of Pennsylvania, he is the Executive Director and Co-founder of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Chamber Music Society (NEPACMS), leading the way for growth and awareness of chamber music in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region with a series of carefully curated concerts, workshops, and educational programs.
As an educator and a staunch advocate for music and the arts, Mr. Vaida regularly collaborates with local schools and community organizations. Mr. Vaida is currently on the faculty at Mansfield University and Wilkes University, and Artist-in-Residence at the Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School. His students have had the distinction of being placed in top spots at regional and state competitions and have been accepted to major conservatories and festivals. He is in demand as a clinician, giving workshops at the local, regional, and national levels, including at the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference and the New York State School Music Association conference. As of the spring of 2022 he has the honor of being named President-Elect of the Pennsylvania-Delaware String Teachers Association.
Mr. Vaida’s principal teachers have included Charles Stegeman, Daniel Phillips, and Zvi Zeitlin. He holds degrees from Duquesne University and the Eastman School of Music, and has studied chamber music with Randolph Kelly, Jean Barr, Richard Killmer, and members of the Ying Quartet.
Mr. Vaida plays on a violin made by Carl G. Becker in 1974, in Chicago, Illinois.