The Samford String Quartet is made up of faculty members of the Samford University and members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. They have previously held positions in major symphony orchestras, performed and taught at many music festivals, and performed as recitalists. As professors at Samford, they work closely with students in applied lessons, chamber music, orchestral studies and pedagogy.

Letitia Jap, Assistant Professor of Violin at Samford University

Letitia maintains an active career as a performer, educator, and recording artist. She is deeply committed to using music as a vehicle for connection, accessibility, and artistic growth, both on stage and in the classroom.

As a soloist, Dr. Jap has appeared with the Seattle Symphony, Holland Symphony, Austin Civic Orchestra, and Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra, and has been featured in recital at the Chelsea Music Festival, Lake George Music Festival, and the 21st Century Artist Initiative. She is also a founding member of the Jap–Thompson Duo, a violin and guitar ensemble that explores a wide range of repertoire. In 2025, the duo released its debut album, Dancing Strings, with Centaur Records Inc.

An experienced orchestral player, Dr. Jap has served as concertmaster for ensembles including the Seoul International Community Orchestra, the Boston Chamber Orchestra, and the Masterworks Music Festival Orchestra, and has also performed with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, and Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

Equally dedicated to pedagogy, Dr. Jap has taught at the University of Texas String Project Program, the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, and in Boston with the Greater Boston Asian American Symphony Orchestra and Youth and Family Enrichment Services, serving children from under-resourced Haitian communities. She went on to serve as Head Chamber Ensemble Coach at the University of Rochester, on faculty at the Eastman Community Music School, as Music History Lecturer at Nazareth College, as Artist-in-Residence at Hong Kong Baptist University, and as Affiliate Faculty of Violin at Grand Valley State University. A registered member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, she is committed to fostering the next generation of musicians through both traditional and innovative approaches to teaching.

Dr. Jap earned her Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas at Austin, her Master of Music from the New England Conservatory, and her Doctor of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music.

Caroline Nordlund, Violin

Caroline Nordlund is a lecturer at Samford University where she performs in the faculty Samford String Quartet. She is the owner of Encore Strings Birmingham, as well as a member of String Theory Birmingham, an instrumental pop group that plays an eclectic mix of originals and modern music arranged for string quartet, bass, and drums.

As an orchestral musician, Caroline has performed with the Alabama Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Tuscaloosa Symphony, Northwest Indiana Symphony, Augusta Symphony, and South Carolina Philharmonic, among others. She has taught and performed at the Varna International Music Festival, Lutheran Summer Music Festival, and the Samford University Piano and Chamber Music Institute. She is the former director of the Scrollworks Youth Music School in Birmingham and has also served as the President of the Alabama chapter of the American String Teachers Association.

In addition to teaching and performing, Caroline is an active adjudicator and presenter, giving sessions at the Alabama Music Educators Conference and the National American String Teachers Association Conference. Her article on teaching group violin classes was featured in the “Ask the Experts” column of The Strad. Highlights of her performance career include the Samford Quartet’s recording of Sacred Music for String Quartet and recital at Carnegie Hall, and a concert with St. Paul and the Broken Bones featuring their album release of Angels in Science Fiction.

Caroline earned a Master of Music in violin performance and pedagogy from Northwestern University as a student of Gerardo Ribeiro and Stacia Spencer. She has attended the Meadowmount School of Music, Aspen Music Festival and School, Spoleto U.S.A. and Sewanee Summer Music Festivals. Originally from Hartsville, South Carolina, Caroline graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Music in violin performance.

Rene Reder, Viola

Violist Rene Reder began her musical studies at the ripe age of ten, playing the violin in her public school orchestra program, adding the viola to her world a year and a half later.  With her parents' support, her love of music was nurtured through private lessons, the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, and later, the community chamber music program at The University of Puget Sound, where her skills continued to bloom with the support of wonderful teachers and fellow student musicians.  

Inspired to continue in music, she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, where she played both violin and viola, followed by a Master of Music Degree and a Performance Diploma from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, with a focus on the viola.

Rene then received the wonderful opportunity to play with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, FL, a post-graduate orchestral academy, for three years, honing her skills and meeting many talented and thoughtful musicians. 

Rene performed numerous chamber pieces during her 22 seasons with Palm Beach Chamber Music Festival. She was invited to play with the Samford String Quartet in 2024. Having joined the Alabama Symphony in 2004, she has also appeared multiple times on the popular Concertmaster and Friends chamber series.  She also enjoys performing regularly with the New Hampshire Music Festival, Encore Strings Birmingham, and the Chattanooga Symphony. She has also made appearances with the Birmingham-based String Theory and other local organizations.

In addition to performing, Rene has been a teacher throughout, most recently with the STEP Birmingham Suzuki Program.  Although her schedule prevents her from taking on a full studio, she enjoys passing on the joy and wonder of music to students of all ages.

Samuel Nordlund, Cello

Samuel Nordlund teaches cello at Samford and is the cellist in the Samford Quartet. He frequently performs with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and String Theory Birmingham, and has been a member of the Huntsville Symphony (AL), Kalamazoo Symphony (MI), Illinois Philharmonic and other orchestras.

Samuel is a Past-President of the Alabama Orchestra Association and teaches cello at the Samford Academy of the Arts. He serves on the Artistic Advisory Committee at STEP (Suzuki) Birmingham, where he teaches cello and directs the youth orchestra and adult strings chamber ensemble. He earned his DMA from The University of Alabama, and his MM from Northwestern University. Samuel and his violinist wife, Caroline, founded the annual Encore Strings Birmingham Summer Academy in 2018, and both have served as faculty performers at the the Varna Muzika summer festival.

Prior to moving to Alabama, Samuel was a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and won substitute auditions for the Chicago and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras.  He also served as Assistant Director of Performance Activities at the Music Institute of Chicago.  For several summers, he taught cello and directed the Early Music Ensemble at the Lutheran Summer Music festival.  He was previously Music Director of Scrollworks and the Metropolitan Youth Orchestras of Central Alabama, and on the faculty of the Alabama School of Fine Arts. Samuel is an active clinician and performer, and enjoys collaborative performances in a variety of settings. In addition to performing classically, he has enjoyed being on stage with St. Paul and the Broken Bones, The Eagles, Celtic Woman, and on the set of Matthew McConnaughey’s film The Rivals of Amziah King.