Deborah Barrett Price, M.M., M.A.

Founder & Artistic Director

Regarded as an innovative pedagogue and versatile performer, Deborah Barrett Price can be found any day of the week coaching chamber music with joy and love for the music, her students, and the art form.  She is larger than life as she speaks and sings to her students while staying in perpetual motion, demonstrating the broad range of emotions conveyed in a movement, measure or even in a single note. Her passion for chamber music and movement of all kinds began early, in her parents’ living room holding her great grandfather’s violin playing with her siblings and father, and while studying and performing dance under the mentorship of dancers and musicians from the New York City Ballet. The culmination of this life of joyful connection to others through music and movement is embodied in the message Debbie frequently repeats to musicians in The Chamber Music Connection (CMC), a nonprofit organization she founded 25 years ago: “Breathe together, move together, play together.”

In recognition of her work as a chamber music entrepreneur, pedagogue, and performer, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory recognized Debbie with their Alumni Achievement Award and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra with their Community Educator of the Year Award. She has also received multiple nominations for the Ohio Governor’s Award for Arts Education and Arts Administration. CMC ensembles under her mentorship have medaled in the St. Paul String Quartet Competition, Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Coltman National Chamber Music Competition, and Discover Chamber Music Competition, and received features on NPR’s From the Top, including Carnegie Hall, and last spring by CMS in Alice Tully Hall.

A respected performer, Debbie currently serves as principal violist of Opera Project Columbus and the McConnell Arts Center Chamber Orchestra and is an Artist-in-Residence at the Caroga Lake Music Festival. She has directed and performed in festivals throughout Europe including performances at Santa Cecelia in Rome and the Beethoven Festival in Prague. For over a decade, she served as the co-conductor of the Cleveland Institute of Music Youth Camerata Strings and as the music director of the Women-In-Music String Sinfonia.

In addition to CMC, Debbie serves on the faculty of Denison University, is a Yamaha Certified String Educator Clinician, a frequent guest artist for festivals, and has given numerous presentations at music schools and national conferences. Articles highlighting her unique teaching style are published in American Music Teacher, Journal of American Viola Society, Keyboard Companion Magazine, American String Teacher, and Chamber Music America.

Debbie resides in Worthington Ohio with her husband, Tim Price, of thirty-four years and enjoys collaborating and performing with her daughter, violist Stephanie Price-Wong, son-in-law, violinist David Wong, and son, cellist Kyle Price, Founder and Artistic Director of the Caroga Arts Collective in Caroga Lake, NY. Debbie is happily introducing chamber music to her new grandson, Felix, who has already enjoyed over thirty CMC and CAC concert events at the ripe old age of four months.

Interested in CMC? Subscribe for more information!