Dr. Johnathan Spence

I'm a violinist, teacher, and the Founder and Artistic Director of Galatea Chamber Music. Based in Virginia Beach, my work centers on private instruction, mentorship, and helping musicians grow into capable, expressive artists.

I hold a Doctorate in Violin Performance from Stony Brook University, where I studied under Hagai Shaham and participated in the quartet intensive program with the Emerson String Quartet. I'm also a graduate of East Carolina University, where I studied with Ara Gregorian and performed in the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival.

In 2017, I returned to my hometown and founded Spence Academy for Strings, offering private instruction and performance opportunities for musicians of all ages. The concert programming and outreach initiatives that grew from this work became Galatea Chamber Music, now a nonprofit presenting free concerts and community-based programs throughout Hampton Roads.

My path in music began at the age of ten, following the loss of my father, when I discovered his violin. With the support of my mother and surrounding community, I pursued my training through scholarships, gaining access to mentors who shaped both my artistry and my sense of direction.

As both a teacher and performer, I approach music as a collaborative and lived practice, grounded in attentive listening, clarity of intention, and shared responsibility. I believe in cultivating strong artistic agency, where musicians are not only technically capable, but fully engaged and willing to bring their whole selves into the music they create.

I'm often found swimming in the Atlantic Ocean year-round, drawn to its rhythm, depth, and force — an ever-present influence on my perspective as an artist and the way I teach.