Judy Palac

Violin, Musicians' Wellbeing Initiative Team Member

Judy Palac is an instructor of violin at the Michigan State University Community Music School, she is also an associate professor of music education at the MSU College of Music.

Dr. Palac received her Bachelor and Master of Music from the University of Michigan and later received her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Texas. She is the founding director of the CMS Suzuki program and now serves as its director emeritus. She also directs the Musicians' Wellness Team at the College of Music as well as CMS.

Previously, Dr. Palac has worked as the director of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Suzuki Talent Education Program and the assistant director of the Texas String Project. She has also performed with the Collegium String Quartet, and currently plays with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra.

She was the president of the Michigan chapter of the American String Teachers Association, and was named Michigan String Teacher of the Year in 2003.

Dr. Palac has also written articles on string teacher education, Suzuki method and performing arts medicine that have been published in journals such as American String Teacher, Medical Problems of Performing Artists, Bulletin for the Council for Research in Music Education, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America.