Aaron Paul Dworkin (born September 11, 1970) is an American violinist and music educator.

Early life

Dworkin was born on September 11, 1970, in Monticello, New York, to Vaughn and Audeen Moore, but they were forced to give their son up for adoption. When he was two weeks old, Barry and Susan Dworkin, who both were

New York City College The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, City ...

professors, with a specialization in

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...

, adopted him. Barry and Susan had another son as well. Susan had been an amateur violinist before Aaron's adoption, and when he was about five, she began to play again. She would play

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

pieces and gave him an interest in playing. In Manhattan, he took lessons from Vladimir Graffman. His biological mother is of Irish descent and his biological father is African-American, while his adoptive family is Jewish. At age 10, his parents moved the family from Manhattan to

Hershey, Pennsylvania Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to The Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey. The community is lo ...

, because his parents got jobs at the

Hershey Medical Center Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (MSHMC) is a 628-bed non-profit, tertiary, research and academic medical center located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, servicing the Central Pennsylvania area. MSHMC is the region's only university-le ...

. He attended the

Peabody Institute The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University is a private conservatory and preparatory school in Baltimore, Maryland. It was founded in 1857 and opened in 1866 by merchant/financier and philanthropist George Peabody (1795–1869) ...

and Philadelphia's New School of Music. By his teens, he was performing regularly with the Hershey Youth Orchestra and the Harrisburg Youth Symphony. For his junior and senior year of high school, he attended the

Interlochen Arts Academy Interlochen Center for the Arts is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues in northwest Michigan. It is situated on a campus in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly southwest of Traverse City. ...

, after his parents convinced him he needed to change. He had been unhappy about attending his other high school due to some prejudice based on his race.

College career

Dworkin enrolled at Penn State where he was concertmaster for the Penn State Philharmonic Orchestra. He was enrolled as a business major though, and he withdrew without earning a degree because of financial reasons. He then decided to move to Michigan. He worked until he obtained enough funds to attend the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. He graduated from the

University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance is an undergraduate and graduate institution for the performing arts in the United States. It is part of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. The school was founded by Calvin Brainerd ...

, with a Bachelors (in 1997) and Masters (in 1998) of Music in Violin Performance, graduating with high honors.

Career

Inspired by the works of William Grant Still, Dworkin realized the lack of the minorities involved in classical music. He created the

Sphinx Organization The Sphinx Organization is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of young Black and Latino classical musicians. Based in Detroit, Michigan, it was founded by the American violinist Aaron Dworkin. The Sphinx was chosen to represe ...

to help reflect the diversity in the United States in orchestras. He is the founder and former president of the Sphinx Organization. He was a Member of the Obama National Arts Policy Committee. He became dean of the

on July 20, 2015. On April 5, 2017, he announced his resignation as dean at the conclusion of the 2016–17 academic year in order to focus on family issues.

Awards

* 2003 Michigan Governors Award for Arts & Culture * 2003 Michiganian of the Year, Detroit News * 2005 MacArthur Fellows Program * 2006 Newsweek Giving Back Award * MLK Spirit Award * 2013 Honorary Member of the

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

Discography

* ''Ebony Rhythm'' Ethnovibe * ''Bar-Talk''. Ethnovibe

References

Sources

External links

*
"Raisin' the Buzz: At the table with Aaron Dworkin"
''innovate2uplift'', January 28, 2009
Aaron Dworkin interviewed on ''Conversations from Penn State''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dworkin, Aaron 1970 births 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American violinists American adoptees American male violinists Jewish American musicians Living people MacArthur Fellows People from Monticello, New York University of Michigan faculty University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance alumni