Gert Kumi, a world-class violinist (pictured at right), will lead the Grace College School of Music’s string department this fall. This Albanian-born prodigy made his orchestral debut with the Tirana Philharmonic Orchestra at age 15, and has performed with many European orchestras. After being “discovered” by Stephen Clapp, the dean of the prestigious Juilliard School, Kumi then moved to New York in 2000, receiving both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Juilliard.