Dr. Letitia Jap, assistant professor of violin at Samford University, maintains an active career as a performer, educator and recording artist. She is committed to using music as a vehicle for connection, accessibility and artistic growth both on stage and in the classroom. As a featured soloist, Jap has appeared with the Seattle Symphony, Holland Symphony, Austin Civic Orchestra and Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra, and has been featured in recitals at the Chelsea Music Festival, Lake George Music Festival and the 21st Century Artist Initiative. She is also a founding member of the Jap–Thompson Duo, a violin and guitar ensemble that explores a wide range of repertoire. In 2025, the duo released its debut album, Dancing Strings, with Centaur Records Inc. As an orchestral player, Jap has served as concertmaster for ensembles including the Seoul International Community Orchestra, the Boston Chamber Orchestra and the Masterworks Music Festival Orchestra, and has also performed with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony and Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Dedicated to pedagogy, Jap has taught at the University of Texas String Project Program, the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and in Boston with the Greater Boston Asian American Symphony Orchestra and Youth and Family Enrichment Services, serving children from under-resourced Haitian communities. She later served as head chamber ensemble coach at the University of Rochester, on faculty at the Eastman Community Music School, as music history lecturer at Nazareth College, as artist-in-residence at Hong Kong Baptist University and as affiliate faculty of violin at Grand Valley State University. A registered member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, she is committed to fostering the next generation of musicians through both traditional and innovative approaches to teaching. Jap earned her bachelor of music from the University of Texas at Austin, her master of music from the New England Conservatory and her doctor of musical arts from the Eastman School of Music. Learn more about Dr. Jap: https://www.letitiajap.com