Dr. Jay Smith, DMA
Biography

Jay Smith has been teaching private and group lessons as well as directing various ensembles for the past 16 years.  In addition to teaching independently and at Music Starz Studios, Smith has also taught at the university level for 5 years. 
Smith earned his Bachelor of Music degree with a double major in guitar performance and music education from the University of Wisconsin.  He completed his Master of Music degree at the University of North Texas, focusing on performance and musicology.  In 2006, Smith became Dr. Jay when he graduated with a Doctorate of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) in guitar performance at the University of North Texas, also in performance and musicology.
Throughout his career, he has always strived to be versatile in his approach to teaching as well as performing.  As a result, he has a varied background that has enabled him to teach a wide variety of musical styles.   There are of course many ways to approach the process of learning a musical instrument.  Dr. Jay shapes the lessons to meet your particular needs.  Whether you just want to learn a few chords or become an accomplished player, Dr. Jay will help you reach your particular musical goals.


Karen Lim-Smith, MM, MJ
Biography

Karen Lim-Smith started playing the piano by ear at 2.  Five years later, she went on to win her first piano competition.  At 8, she had also picked up the violin.   At 12, she was the youngest member to tour with the Penang Symphony Orchestra to Adelaide and Melbourne for the Adelaide Music Festival.  That same year, she was the youngest musician to also represent her country Malaysia at the ASEAN Symphony Orchestra in Thailand.

At 14, she won her first major violin competition.  Not only did she win the coveted first prize at the Mozart National String Competition, but also a free round-trip to Amsterdam to study with Theo Olof, former concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.   

At 17, she won her first full scholarship abroad to study with Alice Waten at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.  After graduating with a Diploma in Music with Distinction, she followed Waten to Australia, where she won another full scholarship to undertake her Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance at the Canberra School of Music, which is affiliated with the Australian National University.  Three years later, she moved to Sydney to complete her Bachelor of Music degree with Honors at the Australian Institute of Music.

While a student at the Canberra School of music, she was selected as the only Malaysian delegate to participate with the World Youth Orchestra.  The orchestra toured the Philippines, South Korea, and Malaysia as well as Denmark and Germany.

She graduated in 2003 with a Master of Music degree in violin performance as well as a Master of Journalism degree from the University of North Texas (UNT).  At UNT, she studied with Igor Borodin.  Over the years, she has also studied with Amadeus Heutling (member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra), Emanuel Borok (concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra) and Susan Demetris (concertmaster of the Dallas Opera).  

Lim-Smith is a very active performer and teacher.  She has been teaching professionally for the past 20 years.  She has served in the violin faculty at the Canberra Youth Orchestra Society in Australia and the Community Music Program at UNT.  She has also taught young students for the Australian Institute of Music. 

In June 2010, her violin students won first prizes in the Grade 7 - 9 and Grade 10 - 12 categories at the Texas Music Teachers Association - June Leondar Chamber Music Competition.  Her violin students were members of the Lewisville Independent School District All-District Middle and High School Orchestras, All-Region 2, All-Region 20 and All-Region 24 Middle and High School Orchestras, Texas All-State Orchestras, Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, Greater Fort Worth Youth Orchestra and Lone Star Youth Orchestra, and have won gold medals at the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest (TSSEC).  Lim-Smith is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association as well as the Denton Music Teachers Association, which is affiliated with the Texas Music Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association. 

Lim-Smith has also performed as a soloist during the 2008 National Association of Composers USA (NACUSA) National Concert at the Eisemann Center in Dallas / Richardson, TX.   In February 2009, Lim-Smith presented the world premiere performance of “Wayang” for solo violin, composed by Wieslaw V. Rentowski at the NACUSA Texas Conference at the Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.  In February 2010, Lim-Smith presented the world premiere performance of “Appassionato” for violin and piano composed by Rentowski at the NACUSA Texas Conference at the University of San Marcos, Texas.  In 2011, Lim-Smith will be presenting works by Rentowski at the University of Texas – Dallas as well as at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

As a performer, she toured with Andrea Bocelli and Diana Ross and the Supremes throughout the United States.  She also appears frequently with The Dallas Opera Orchestra and The Tulsa Opera Orchestra during the operatic seasons.   She also performs on baroque instruments with the Forth Worth Early Music and the Orchestra of New Spain.

She strives for versatility in her playing as well as in her students’ playing.  While a student at UNT, she picked up jazz violin, and was a founding member of UNT’s Swing Strings.  She has also appeared with UNT’s Repertory Jazz Ensemble in a series of performances commemorating the indefatigable Duke Ellington.

Dr. Jay and Mrs. Karen manage and operate I Virtuosi and Serenata Strings, two professional ensembles that specializes in live music for weddings, anniversaries, receptions, social events as well as corporate functions, and performs at 100 events per year.