Libby Weitnauer

Teaches at The Jalopy Theatre and School of Music

Libby Weitnauer began her journey on the violin at the age of 4 in the musical community of East Tennessee. During her time there, she soloed with several local orchestras including the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Maryville College Community Orchestra, Oak Ridge Youth Symphony, and Knoxville Youth Symphony Orchestra and had her performance dubbed “ethereal” by the Knoxville News Sentinel. 

After high school, Libby moved to Chicago to study with pedagogue Olga Kaler and complete her Bachelor’s degree in violin performance at DePaul University. She grew homesick for the sounds of the Smoky Mountains and began exploring various fiddling traditions while composing and performing with new acoustic trio Ask Your Folks. It was through this process that Libby eventually found her way to the Appalachian old-time fiddle music that she now calls home. Since that stylistic shift, Libby has learned from many friends and teachers including Matt Brown, Rayna Gellert, and most recently, Grammy Award winner Dom Flemons during a summer of research and music making at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Libby is currently a member of the oldtime stringband Ginny’s Kitchen and a newly formed duo project with banjo-fiddler Jake Blount, Tui. During her time developing as a fiddler, Libby has also continued her classical violin career.

In 2018 she graduated from New York University with a Masters of Music, where she studied with Gregory Fulkerson and served on adjunct faculty teaching undergraduate non-music majors. Libby is still discovering her identity as a musician, but she finds inspiration exploring the depths and boundaries of the traditional music of Appalachia.