Paul Rolland Legacy Celebration – Open to All!

2025 marks a milestone for the Paul Rolland String Pedagogy Society, as our annual Workshop returns in person to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with sessions also broadcast online to an international audience from June 22–28. This Workshop offers string educators and performers an in-depth exploration of Paul Rolland’s teaching principles, as presented in his ground-breaking work The Teaching of Action in String Playing, which has had a profound impact on string pedagogy worldwide.

In 2020, the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the University of Illinois String Research Project had to be postponed due to the pandemic and rescheduled for the next in-person Workshop. This June will mark the return of both the Workshop and the Legacy Celebration!

The 2025 Paul Rolland Legacy Celebration on June 27–28 commemorates the vast scope of Paul Rolland’s distinguished 40-year career, encompassing performance, academics, pedagogical research, and service to professional organizations. Sponsored by the University of Illinois School of Music, the festivities begin Friday evening at Smith Memorial Music Hall with a recital featuring violinist Lucia Lin, a former student of Rolland’s, and pianist Sergey Schepkin, followed by a reception to reconnect and share memories.

Saturday’s activities will include Workshop sessions, historical presentations, roundtables with attendee participation, and musical entertainment by Fresh Apples—a lively duo featuring Peter Rolland (Paul Rolland’s son) and Meryl Brown, performing an eclectic mix of originals and fresh arrangements of traditional folk and country, bluegrass, humorous, and old-time music. The evening concludes with a festive catered banquet at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with former colleagues, alumni, students, and string educators, and to celebrate the lasting influence of Paul Rolland on string education and performance.

Join the Paul Rolland Pedagogy Society and the University of Illinois School of Music in observing this special in person event. Memorable photos and anecdotes can be shared for a souvenir book by emailing paulrollandsocietyoffice@gmail.com.

Our dedicated leadership team—including U of  I On-Site Director Rebecca MacLeod, Workshop Director Aaron Jacobs, Assistant Directors Mei Chang and Braunwin Sheldrick, and Legacy Celebration Committee members Gail Rolland, Lynne Denig, Michael Fanelli, and Nancy Kredel—has been working diligently to bring this event to life. We share a deep enthusiasm for Rolland’s pedagogy and are committed to creating the best possible experience for our participants.