Jasper Zientek is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Music Viola Performance degree at the Jacobs School of Music as a recipient of the E & E Knapik Scholarship, Music Faculty Award, and Indiana University Recognition Scholarship.

Formerly, he studied with James VanValkenburg, assistant principal violist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Zientek has participated in summer programs, including Interlochen Center for the Arts, where he was named an Emerson Scholar, and Tanglewood’s String Quartet Workshop.

At Indiana, Zientek has worked with Jorja Fleezanis, Roberto Diaz, Carol Rodland, Ed Gazouleas, Masumi Per Rostad, Victoria Chiang, and Peter Slowik, as well as Atar Arad, who is his primary teacher.  He has also performed in classes for Kathryn Plummer, Melia Watras and the Orion String Quartet.

At Tanglewood he studied chamber music with members of the Muir String Quartet.