Robyn Quinnett

Born on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, Robyn Quinnett began playing violin at eight years old. She has won several competitions including the National Mariam Hayes and Ruth Kern Competitions.

Robyn earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School studying with Naoko Tanaka and the late Stephen Clapp. In 2019, Robyn completed her DMA from Stony Brook University studying with Hagai Shaham. She has attended the Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Music Festival, Colorado College Music Festival, and Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos do Jordão in Brazil. She has performed with ensembles such as the Glimmerglass Festival Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Princeton Symphony, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, New Haven Symphony, American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, and toured internationally as Principal Second of the Sphinx Virtuosi.

Robyn is dedicated to community engagement and pedagogy. She is a teaching artist and board member of Living Arts Collaborative, an organization of performing artists who aim to bring an accessible and interactive approach to the musical arts in schools. She founded The Montserrat Music Festival, a summer festival, bringing music education and live chamber music to her home island of Montserrat. She has also served as a Violin Faculty at the Sphinx Performance Academy in residence at the Curtis Institute of Music, Roosevelt University, and Cleveland Institute of Music. In the fall of 2023, Robyn is thrilled to begin her teaching position at Smith College.