Director, Chamber and Instrumental Music Associate Professor, Performing Arts and Arts Leadership Associate Appointment, Global African Studies
College of Arts and Sciences
Students who study with Associate Professor Dr. Quinton Morris learn to be exceptional in whatever they choose to do in life. The philosophy of this violin and chamber music teacher is to “cultivate a spirit of confidence and innovation that will serve students in both their creative and entrepreneurial pursuits.”
In his own life Dr. Morris is not bound by categories. He enjoys a multifaceted, award-winning career as a concert violinist, chamber musician, educator, entrepreneur and filmmaker. He performs and lectures around the world. Whether he’s on his BREAKTHROUGH World Tour or preparing for a sold out recital at Carnegie Hall, his ever evolving career keeps Dr. Morris busy. In his spare time, he teaches in his nonprofit, the Key to Change, which provides violin instruction to middle and high school students in South King County.
He has received numerous awards, including the Puget Sound Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” for esteemed leaders and entrepreneurs in Seattle, the Seattle Mayor’s Arts Award and the Washington State Governor’s Arts Award. In 2017, Musical America Worldwide’s “30 Movers and Shapers” recognized Dr. Morris as one of the world’s top music professionals. Most recently, he received the Rising Star Award and was inducted into the League of Extraordinary Givers from the Renton Community Foundation.
Since coming to Seattle University in 2007, Dr. Morris has transformed a once nascent music department into a learning community that fosters young talent. He wrote and re-designed the music curriculum, recruited students and faculty and serves as director of chamber and instrumental music.
A dedicated educator who gives master classes to students throughout the world, Dr. Morris says, “My passion for teaching shines through in my commitment to help students achieve success on whichever educational voyage they choose in life.”