Renee Skerik, D.M.A.

About Renee

Renée Skerik is Instructor of Viola and Chamber Music at Interlochen Arts Academy. She has performed and taught across the United States, Europe, and South America, with highlights including the 33rd International Viola Congress in Reykjavik, Iceland, and a recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Before joining the faculty at Interlochen, Skerik was Professor of Viola at Texas Tech University School of Music in Lubbock, Texas. Prior to that appointment she served as violist of the prize-winning Artaria String Quartet, recipients of a National Endowment for the Arts Millennium Grant and winners in the 2004 McKnight Artist Fellowships Competition. With Artaria, she toured nationwide, led masterclasses, and co-founded the Stringwood Chamber Music Institute and Artaria Chamber Music School.

Skerik has given masterclasses for institutions including The Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, the University of Michigan, Cleveland Institute of Music, LaGuardia High School, the Miami Music Project, and the China Conservatory Middle School (remote). She is a frequent presenter at national conferences for the American String Teachers Association , Texas Music Educators Association , and American Viola Society. She served as coordinator of the inaugural AVS Youth Competition at the Colburn Conservatory in 2016, and has adjudicated for the Carnegie Hall NYO-USA, Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, and Ohio Viola Society Competition.

In the summer, she serves on the faculties of the Interlochen Viola Intensive, Castleman Quartet Program, and Montecito International Music Festival.

She has collaborated in performance with artists such as Arnold Steinhardt, Charles Castleman, Margaret Batjer, Andrés Cárdenes, and Yizhak Schotten. Skerik holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan, and the University of Minnesota, studying with Heidi Castleman, Yizhak Schotten, and Korey Konkol. She is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied with David Holland.

As a violist and educator, I view my role as both artist and mentor to be integral to a student's artistic and personal development. I am deeply committed to guiding students and helping them grow as musicians and as thoughtful, resilient individuals prepared to contribute to the world through their art. I tailor my teaching to each student’s unique developmental path, working to cultivate strong foundational technique, deep musical understanding, and personal ownership of their craft. My goal is not only to teach students how to play the viola, but to equip them with the tools to teach and challenge themselves —helping students manage their time, energy, and focus in a healthy and sustainable way, preparing them for the independence required in college and professional environments. I believe in developing the “whole artist.” This includes encouraging intellectual curiosity, emotional awareness, and community engagement alongside rigorous practice and performance. While I maintain high artistic expectations, I am equally dedicated to creating a supportive and responsive studio environment. I aim to meet each student where they are, recognizing their strengths and areas for growth, and helping them progress with confidence and clarity. I also work to model the life of a professional artist — staying active as a performer and collaborator so that my students see firsthand the commitment, balance, and joy that come with a life in music. Ultimately, I want my students to leave Interlochen not only as technically accomplished violists, but as expressive, self-aware, and generous artists — individuals prepared to contribute meaningfully to the musical world, and perhaps one day, to teach and inspire others as they were inspired here.