Rice University's Shepherd School of Music has announced that violists Ori Kam and Stephen Wyrczynski will join its faculty at the opening of the 2027/28 school year. They step into the shoes of two long-term faculty members, Ivo-Jan van der Werff and James Dunham.

During the transition period, Joan DerHovsepian (who is principal viola of the Houston Symphony) will teach a viola studio alongside her current role teaching orchestral repertoire. Wyrczynski and Kam will also return to the school several times during the 2026/27 year to work with current and incoming viola students.

A member of The Philadelphia Orchestra for 18 years, Wyrczynski has served on the faculty at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music since 2010. He has also taught at the New World Symphony, Curtis Institute of Music, Mannes College of Music, and Aspen Music Festival and School.

In chamber music, his ensemble partners have included Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Pamela Frank, and Edgar Meyer.

Kam was a member of the Jerusalem String Quartet for 15 years and has previously played in the Naumburg Award-winning Whitman String Quartet. He is also the founder of the Israel Chamber Music Society. He has previously played in the Berlin Philharmonic and the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic, U.S. National Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, and Berlin Symphony.

He is currently a professor at the Kunst-Universität Graz in Austria, and previously served on the faculty of the University of Geneva for 13 years.

"Stephen and Ori bring tremendous experience as performers and teachers and will be a great asset to the Shepherd School’s string department," said Matthew Loden, Dean of Music. "Their appointments mark an exciting yet bittersweet moment as we experience a complete turnover in our viola faculty."

"For decades, Ivo-Jan van der Werff and James Dunham have shaped the Shepherd community, training nearly 500 students for successful careers. We are deeply grateful for their contributions and confident that their legacy is in excellent hands."

"We are also fortunate that Joan DerHovsepian, an invaluable member of the Shepherd community for over 20 years, graciously agreed to step into a yearlong teaching role to ensure our students continue to receive the highest level of instruction."

"I’m honored and excited to join the celebrated faculty at the Shepherd School," Wyrczynski said. "I’m looking forward to working with my friend Ori Kam to continue Shepherd’s tradition of excellence and collaboration established by James Dunham and Ivo-Jan van der Werff."

"I am thrilled to join the faculty of the Shepherd School of Music," Kam said. "Over the years, I have developed a deep connection to the school through performances with the Jerusalem Quartet, master classes and close relationships with faculty members, including some who were my own teachers. I have long admired Shepherd’s artistic vision and approach to pedagogy, which align closely with my own values. Joining the faculty feels like a natural next step. While I regret James Dunham and Ivo-Jan van der Werff’s departures, I am excited to join Stephen Wyrczynski in continuing their legacy of shaping the next generation of violists at the Shepherd School."