Praised for his "dazzling performance" by the New York Times and "scintillating playing" by New York Classical Review, violinist Ari Streisfeld has quickly established himself as a leader in contemporary classical music. A founding member of the internationally acclaimed JACK Quartet, Ari has performed in the world's leading concert halls and festivals. He has collaborated with many of today's most prominent composers including John Luther Adams, Caroline Shaw, Julia Wolfe, and has recorded for Mode, Albany, Carrier, Innova, Cantaloupe, New Focus, and New World Records. Together with his wife, mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway, Ari formed Duo Cortona, a contemporary music ensemble dedicated to the creation of new works for the unique instrumentation of mezzo-soprano and violin. He is also a member of Shir Ami, an ensemble dedicated to the performance and preservation of Jewish art music. A passionate and committed music educator, Ari is currently Associate Professor of Violin and Violin Pedagogy at the University of South Carolina School of Music, Music Director for Point CounterPoint (Vermont), and Artistic Director for the Cortona Sessions for New Music (Netherlands). He previously taught violin and chamber music at New York's Special Music School, Face the Music, and New Music on the Point. Ari performs on a beautiful Benjamin Ruth violin made in 1997 and a bow crafted by bowmaker Gilles Nehr in 2024. He holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music (Bachelor of Music), Northwestern University (Master of Music), and Boston University (Doctor of Musical Arts). His teachers include Zvi Zeitlin, Almita Vamos, and Peter Zazofsky.