Kennedy Graves is a college junior from Cincinnati, Ohio. She discovered the violin and started playing the instrument at the age of 3, initially studying with UNCSA alumna Diana LeGrand. During her elementary years she participated in numerous Suzuki violin summer programs in Virginia, working with several different violin instructors. When she was accepted into Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts in the eighth grade, she resumed private lessons with Ms. LeGrand. Kennedy has performed in master classes given by Midori Gotō and Hillary Hahn. She participated in the Ohio Music Education Association’s annual competition, earning the highest rating each year for five consecutive years, won the prestigious Corbett Mayerson Competition, and served as the concertmaster of the state ranked SCPA Chamber Orchestra. This past summer she toured the Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. region as a member of the Pan American Chamber Orchestra, performing with Ms. LeGrand. Kennedy has greatly enjoyed playing chamber music as a member of several string quartets over the past several years. She is extremely grateful to all of the violin teachers who have helped shape her musical growth.