Jessica Ziegler: Fiddle, Whistle, Grúpaí Cheoil, Ensembles
Jessica Ziegler has extensive training in playing and teaching classical violin, and she has devoted her career to adapting tried-and-true classical methods to the unique challenges of Irish music. She grew up studying the Suzuki method in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and played violin and viola in the Midwest Young Artists Senior Orchestra, the IMEA All-State Honors Orchestra in Peoria and Interlochen Arts Camp's WYSO.
Jessica received her Bachelor's degree in Viola performance and teaching at Indiana University, where she studied with well-respected pedagogue Mimi Zweig, head of the Indiana University String Academy. It was within the vibrant folk music community of Bloomington, Indiana that Jessica started playing Irish fiddle.
She received her Master's degree in Viola performance and pedagogy at Northwestern University, where she was the graduate teaching fellow of Northwestern's String Academy and studied with world-famous pedagogue Roland Vamos. She has played viola in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Accessible Contemporary Music in Chicago, and the Juilliard School's Orchestra at the Spoleto Festival in Italy. She currently teaches Irish fiddle classes for adults at the Old Town School of Folk Music as well as the Irish Music School of Chicago. She also plays clawhammer banjo for Chicago dance bands The Paulina Hollers and Cats On Holiday.