Bartholomew is an internationally recognized teacher. He was a teaching assistant at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University pre-college program from 2020 – 2021. In June of 2022, he was invited to teach at the Reading Symphony Junior String Orchestra Academy in Reading, Pennsylvania. Mr. Fortino-Shields was a Teaching Artist with Play on Philly in the spring of 2023. He currently has a strong private violin studio of in person and online students. He offers chamber music coachings to pre-formed groups.
Mr. Fortino-Shields was featured on Rob Landes’ Youtube Channel in 2020 receiving 10.5 million views.
Click to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsErReM15XE&t=11s
“I had a blast! I want you to know that Bart gave really good advice and would recommend him to you if you would like to get better at the violin.” – Rob Landes
Bartholomew has a wide range of teaching experience with beginners, intermediate, to very advanced students who have come from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Canada, Africa, and all throughout the United States. He worked closely with Sally Thomas, Soh-Hyun Park Altino (teaching assistant to Donald Weilerstein while she was at the Cleveland Institute of Music), and Judith Ingolfsson throughout his violin studies. Mr. Fortino-Shields attributes the success of his teaching to these wonderful teachers.
Bartholomew also received in depth pedagogical study in his Bachelor’s degree with Eugene Purdue at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and in his Master’s degree with Rebecca Henry at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. While at the Meadowmount School of Music, he observed masterclasses by Joseph Silverstein, Gerardo Ribeiro, and William van der Sloot.
Bartholomew is the founder and artistic director of the Vilacello String and Piano Festival, held each summer in the United States and Europe. The Vilacello String and Piano Festival is a personalized violin, viola, cello and piano solo and chamber music program for students ages 10 – 32. Students get to study one on one and perform with faculty members who are graduates of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Colburn School, Yale University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Indiana University. To learn more, go to: https://vilacellostringandpiano.com.
He is also the newly appointed program director and resident violin faculty at the Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Colorado for the junior artists immersion program. To learn more, go to: