Strings Attached ― One Tough Teacher and the Gift of Great Expectations

Looks at the life of a tough-as-nails Ukranian-immigrant music teacher who transformed his students and daughters not only into better musicians, but also better people.

Joanne Lipman is one of the nation's most prominent journalists and commentators. She was a Deputy Managing Editor ofThe Wall Street Journal and she founded and was Editor-in-Chief of Portfolio. Currently, she is aNewsweek columnist and advisor to news organizations such as CNN and New York Public Radio. She is a frequent television commentator, appearing on CNN, CBS, and CNBC, among others.

Melanie Kupchynsky has been a violinist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for more than 20 years, during which time the symphony has won 21 Grammys. She began studying violin at the age of four with her father and the subject of the book, Jerry "Mr. K" Kupchynsky. Melanie began her career with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra under the direction of John Williams. With the CSO, she has performed around the globe under the world's greatest conductors and with the world's most prominent soloists. She remains an active chamber musician as well, most recently performing as part of the Chicago Symphony's "Citizen Musician" outreach program in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and with Yo Yo Ma in Chicago.