Teacher Profile: Denise Dupree

About Denise Dupree

Denise Dupree is an Orlando based musician who has been playing violin since 2007. She developed a deep love and appreciation for the violin thanks to her middle school orchestra teacher Mr. Osvaldo Quezada, who instilled in her the passion and the confidence to play. After switching schools she still wanted to pursue violin and continued private lessons under Mrs. Kathy Rodgers at The First Academy in 2009. With Mrs. Rodgers, she participated in yearly recitals, chamber music ensembles, masterclasses and competed in yearly competitions in Jacksonville, FL. In 2012 she participated in TFA’s marching band and concert band where she played the clarinet and bass clarinet. During this time she also joined her school’s steel pan ensemble and received superiors for their performances in Gainesville, FL.

She went on to Kent State University where she acquired her bachelors in Teaching English as a Second Language and her double minors in Japanese and Ethnomusicology. She continued playing violin at Kent State and joined their university orchestra in 2014 where she was a member for 5 years. During her time at Kent State she took private lessons under Kathy Robinson and participated in yearly recitals. She was a member of Kent State’s marching band where she continued to play clarinet and bass clarinet. Along with being in the orchestra and marching band, she took part in world music ensembles such as the Thai, Chinese, African and Steel Pan ensembles. She had the opportunity to participate in World Music showcases and performed with the Thai ensemble in California at UCLA along with performing in Thailand at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in conjunction with their dance department.

Currently, she is a math and reading interventionist for middle school and enjoys being able to encourage her students by giving them the skills needed to excel in subject areas that are difficult for them. She is a member of the CFCArts orchestra and frequently participates in their seasonal concerts. In addition, she is a member of the Orlando Taiko Dojo and has been playing traditional Japanese drums since 2020. When she’s not performing, she enjoys reading sci-fi novels and going to comic cons and renaissance fairs.