Judy Cruces
Judy holds a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in Violin Performance from California State University, East Bay, and a Master's Degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Kodály from the University of Redlands. She is also a certified Kodály Specialist through The Kodály Center. Her violin studies were guided by Josh Cohen, Philip Santos, and Leah Wollenberg, and her choral training took place under the direction of Dr. Buddy James, Dr. László Norbert Nemes, and Réka Csernyik.
In her teaching, Judy uses a blended curriculum drawing on both classical and contemporary methods, incorporating Suzuki and Kodály materials to build strong technical and musical foundations.
As an active orchestral musician, Judy has performed with the Cal State East Bay Orchestra, Community Women's Orchestra, and Castro Valley Orchestra. She currently performs with several folk, country, and Americana bands, with festival credits including BottleRock and King of the Hammers, along with other large festivals throughout Northern and Southern California. She's also a regular presence on the local music scene, performing frequently at venues throughout San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda.
She has also directed youth choirs and string ensembles, creating meaningful performance and collaboration opportunities for her students.