Faculty & Staff

Elena Chernova-Davis
Coordinator of Strings, Coordinator of Chamber Music; Lecturer, Violin
Music
Biography

Prizewinner of the Aleksander Glazunov International Competition (Paris), Dr. Elena Chernova-Davis has enjoyed a career as soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster in her native Uzbekistan and throughout the United States. After graduating with honors as a full-scholarship student from the Tashkent State Conservatory, she came to the United States to continue her studies with Misha Vitenson, Elmar Oliveira, and Shmuel Ashkenasi.

She is a recipient of the Concertmaster Fellowship and the Irene Alm Memorial Award for excellence in performance and scholarly research, and has worked with conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Esa Pekka-Salonen, Gerard Schwarz, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and Jeffrey Tate. Collaborating with various New York ensembles including musicians from the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony, her performing venues include Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Le Poisson Rouge, Madison Square Garden, and Radio City Music Hall.

An avid chamber musician, Chernova-Davis has organized and performed in faculty chamber music recitals at Rutgers University with guest performers from the faculties of Montclair State University, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, and Eastman School of Music. She regularly performs with the Riverside Chamber Players, Con Vivo Music, and the Pedro Giraudo Tango Ensemble.

As a passionate and dedicated teacher, her philosophy is to guide development and tailor an individual approach to each student that encourages growth, curiosity and motivation. She is currently on the faculty at Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she lectures in violin performance and chamber music.