Stephen Fine was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida where he lives today. For decades, his students have gone on to success at the state and national level. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in viola performance from Rice University and a Master’s from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Over the last twenty-five years, Mr. Fine has performed and taught all over the world, from Finland to the Philippines and across the United States. His education on the violin began at age 4 with Suzuki-pioneer, Sonnhild Frey Kitts, and he owes a great deal of his philosophy to Mrs. Kitts and Dr. Shin’ichi Suzuki (鈴木鎮一).

In addition to his private studio, over the years, Mr. Fine has taught for the University of Florida, the Performing Arts Institute at Wyoming Seminary, SUNY Stony Brook, Music Beyond the Chamber, and MusAid. Whether he’s setting up a student for her first lesson or preparing an advanced player for an important audition, Mr. Fine’s wide base of knowledge and careful attention to detail is what marks him as an excellent teacher.

His primary viola teachers were Karen Ritscher, Jodi Levitz, and Katherine Murdock. He’s studied chamber music with members of the Concord, Emerson, Kronos, and Cleveland string quartets.

His dog, Thorin, plays the bassoon and sometimes gives helpful pointers during lessons.