Stephen Wyrczynski and Ori Kam appointed Professors of Viola at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, beginning in the fall of 2027

Stephen Wyrczynski and Ori Kam appointed Professors of Viola at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, beginning in the fall of 2027

Wyrczynski and Kam will succeed longtime professors James Dunham and Ivo-Jan van der Werff, with Joan DerHovsepian teaching during the transition 

Ori Kam and Stephen Wyrczynski

The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University is pleased to announce the appointment of violists Ori Kam and Stephen Wyrczynski to its faculty, with both artists set to join the school in fall 2027. Their hires represent the beginning of a new era for the Shepherd School’s viola program as longtime professors Ivo-Jan van der Werff and James Dunham retire in spring 2026 and spring 2027, respectively.

To ensure continuity during the transition, Joan DerHovsepian, Principal Viola of the Houston Symphony, will lead a studio as Professor in the Practice for Viola in 2026-27, while continuing her current role as Instructor of Orchestral Repertoire. Wyrczynski and Kam will also visit Shepherd several times next school year to work with current and incoming viola students.

“Stephen and Ori bring tremendous experience as performers and teachers and will be a great asset to the Shepherd School’s string department,” said Matthew Loden, the Lynette S. Autrey Dean of Music. “Their appointments mark an exciting yet bittersweet moment as we experience a complete turnover in our viola faculty. For decades, Ivo-Jan van der Werff and James Dunham have shaped the Shepherd community, training nearly 500 students for successful careers. We are deeply grateful for their contributions and confident that their legacy is in excellent hands. We are also fortunate that Joan DerHovsepian, an invaluable member of the Shepherd community for over 20 years, graciously agreed to step into a yearlong teaching role to ensure our students continue to receive the highest level of instruction.”

Stephen Wyrczynski joins the Shepherd School from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he has served on the viola faculty since 2010. A member of The Philadelphia Orchestra for 18 years, he is also an avid chamber musician who has collaborated with renowned artists including Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Pamela Frank, and Edgar Meyer. His pedagogical influence extends globally through his teaching at the New World Symphony, Curtis Institute of Music, Mannes College of Music, and Aspen Music Festival and School.

“I’m honored and excited to join the celebrated faculty at the Shepherd School,” Wyrczynski said. “I’m looking forward to working with my friend Ori Kam to continue Shepherd’s tradition of excellence and collaboration established by James Dunham and Ivo-Jan van der Werff.”

An internationally renowned violist, Ori Kam was a member of the prestigious Jerusalem String Quartet for 15 years, a previous member of the Naumburg Award-winning Whitman String Quartet, and founder of the Israel Chamber Music Society. Since his debut at age 16 with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Zubin Mehta, he has appeared as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, and Berlin Symphony to name a few. Kam was a member of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Deutsche-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and has also appeared as a guest with numerous orchestras including the Vienna Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Ensemble Modern. He currently holds a professorship at the Kunst-Universität Graz in Austria and previously served on the faculty of the University of Geneva for 13 years.

“I am thrilled to join the faculty of the Shepherd School of Music,” said Kam. “Over the years, I have developed a deep connection to the school through performances with the Jerusalem Quartet, masterclasses, and close relationships with faculty members, including some who were my own teachers. I have long admired Shepherd’s artistic vision and approach to pedagogy, which align closely with my own values. Joining the faculty feels like a natural next step. While I regret James Dunham and Ivo-Jan van der Werff’s departures, I am excited to join Stephen Wyrczynski in continuing their legacy of shaping the next generation of violists at the Shepherd School.”

James Dunham, the Joseph and Ida Kirkland Mullen Professor of Viola, and Ivo-Jan van der Werff leave distinguished legacies at Shepherd. Dunham, a Grammy Award-winning violist with the Cleveland String Quartet and a founding member of the Sequoia String Quartet, also serves as Chair of the String Department at the Shepherd School. He previously taught at the Eastman School of Music and the New England Conservatory. Professor of Viola Ivo-Jan van der Werff, a global leader in viola pedagogy, performed more than 5,000 concerts worldwide as violist of the Medici String Quartet and previously taught at the Royal College of Music in London.

“James Dunham and Ivo-Jan van der Werff have influenced generations of performers and teachers across the international musical community,” Loden said. “We are deeply grateful for the intellectual rigor, artistic leadership, and enduring standard of excellence they established at Shepherd and for their contributions to Rice University.”

An international search was conducted by Shepherd School faculty, chaired by James Dunham and joined by Cho-Liang Lin, Ana María Martínez, and Robert Yekovich.

Learn more about the Shepherd School here and view a full faculty roster here.

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