Master of Music in Composition, University of Washington

Bacholar of Music in Composition, Eastman School of Music (with highest distinction), Violin Study with Oleh Krysa

Composition, Juilliard School Pre-College Division, Violin Study with Naoko Tanaka

Justin Zeitlinger is a violinist and composer, originally from New Jersey. He recently completed a master’s degree in composition at the University of Washington, where he served as teaching assistant for music theory and performed in the Modern Music Ensemble. Previously, Justin studied at the Eastman School of Music (BM ’22) and Juilliard School Pre-College Division (’18) under Oleh Krysa and Naoko Tanaka, where he performed in ensembles such as Eastman’s Musica Nova and the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra.

Deeply passionate about pedagogy, Justin combines creativity with technique, helping young performers realize their artistry through a wide variety of musical idioms. He currently teaches musicianship and creative music at SYSO’s Seattle Conservatory of Music. In addition, he has coached string ensembles ages 6–12 at the Opportunity Music Project (NY, NY) and served as a mentor to students during NYO-USA / NYO2’s 2023–25 summer tours.

Equally active as a composer, Justin’s work has been performed by ensembles such as the Bennardo-Larson Duo, loadbang, PUBLIQuartet, and AIR Contemporary Music Collective Beijing, and featured at international festivals including Darmstädter Ferienkurse, June in Buffalo, and UML-festival (Finland). He has received additional awards and distinctions from BMI, ASCAP, and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.