About Lydia

Lydia Plaut is an experienced and passionate violist and violin and viola teacher. She is committed to helping students of all ages and backgrounds find joy, confidence, and community through music. She currently teaches violin and viola at the Suzuki Violin School of Santa Barbara. She was a faculty member at The Music Settlement in Cleveland, OH, and at the Cuyahoga Community College Creative Arts Academy. She also taught for several years at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. She is a registered teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas in all violin units and select viola units. 

An avid performer, Lydia was a violist with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also performed with Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Akron Symphony Orchestra, and as a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, Festival Napa Valley, and Madeline Island Chamber Music. 

Lydia began her musical studies as a Suzuki violin student in Pasadena, California. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance with a concentration in Music-in-Education from the New England Conservatory and holds Master’s degrees in Viola Performance and Violin Suzuki Pedagogy from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her former teachers include Jeffrey Irvine, Mai Motobuchi, and Gina Coletti.