TEACHER BIO

Carol earned her Bachelor of Music from the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Carroll Glenn and completed graduate coursework in Music Education at the University of Maryland, where she studied with Gerald Fischbach and Miles Hoffman. 

She received her comprehensive Suzuki training through the esteemed two-year teacher certification course at The School for Strings in New York City, studying with Louise Behrend. Additional Suzuki instruction included training with Ronda Cole, Terry Durbin, David Strom, and Shu-Yi Scott. 

Further violin studies were shaped by distinguished mentors including:

• David Nadien  (New York Philharmonic Concertmaster for Bernstein) 
• Carroll Glenn
• Samuel Kissel,  student  of Dounis)
• Ruggiero Ricci (Shawnigan School for the Arts)
• Robert Gerle
• Walter Verdehr
• Helmut Braunlich

Chamber music mentors included Robert Newkirk, Artur Balsam, and members of the Stuttgart Trio.

She holds orchestral training credentials from Leon Barzin's ground breaking National Orchestral Association (NYC), and was Concertmaster of the  Manhattan School Opera Orchestra under Anton Coppola, and was awarded a fellowship to the Congress of Strings in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Her NYC teaching credentials include work at leading institutions such as:

• School for Strings
• Westchester Conservatory of Music
• 92nd Street Y School of Music
• Bloomingdale School of Music

 In the D.C. region, she built thriving violin studios in Kensington and Takoma Park, and taught at::

• Jewish Community Center
• Butler Montessori School
• American University Pre-College Program
• Shepherd University Preparatory Division
•  Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC (faculty of violin and chamber music) 

As a freelance symphonic violinist, Carol has performed extensively throughout New York City, Washington, D.C., and Greensboro, NC. 

Her orchestral affiliations included:

• Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra (under Lukas Foss & Dennis Russell Davies)
• White Plains Symphony (under Kenneth Schermerhorn)
• Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra (under Shelley Morganstern), where she also served on the violin and chamber music faculty at the Eastern Music Festival

Her performance career encompassed a wide range of venues and genres—including concert, opera, ballet, and musical theater—appearing at: 

• Carnegie Hall
• Lincoln Center
• Brooklyn Academy of Music
• Broadway Productions
• Kennedy Center
• Wolf Trap
• PBS Recording Work

Carol took a creative sabbatical from the music world to explore work in IT/web development, and visual media. 

In 2023 Ms. Havelka has returned to her true calling—sharing the joy of music through violin education. With decades of experience as both a performer and educator, she remains passionately committed to inspiring young musicians through expert instruction, encouragement, and a love of lifelong learning.