Alice Colby received a Bachelors degree from Manhattan School of Music and a Masters degree from Purchase College Conservatory of Music, where she was a scholarship student of Daniel Phillips and Sally Thomas. While at Purchase, Alice performed frequently in master classes, chamber music recitals and symphony and ballet orchestras. After graduation, she gave recitals and worked as a freelance orchestral violinist in New York and Connecticut.

 

After attending a summer workshop at the Hartt School Suzuki Teacher Institute and a violin pedagogy course at Indiana University, Alice decided to focus on teaching. For 12 years she taught at Merit Music School in New Canaan and Norwalk, CT. There, she started young children on the violin and guided them through several years of study to the level where they could play pieces such as the Vivaldi and Bach concertos. Alice also prepared many of her students to successfully audition for the fine youth orchestras in the area. In addition, she sometimes taught the parents of her students, as well as other adult beginners. Having begun the violin at the relatively late age of 11, Alice firmly believes that it is possible to learn to play beautifully at any age.