When junior violinist Iris Shepherd stepped onto the performance room at the prestigious MTNA National Competitions in Chicago, a single 50-minute performance stood between her and a national title. What no one in the audience could see was everything that led up to it.
From months of preparation to years of mentorship, from quiet rehearsal rooms in Nashville to a whirlwind three-day trip to Chicago, Shepherd’s grand prize-winning performance was anything but a solo effort. It reflected the community behind her at Blair School of Music.
“I was there for three days,” Shepherd said. “One day to get adjusted, the second day was a piano rehearsal, and the third day was the competition and results.”
The schedule was intense. But the real work had started long before she boarded the plane.
At the national level, competitions like MTNA demand not just technical excellence, but artistic depth and endurance. Shepherd built a 50-minute program designed to showcase the full range of her musical voice, from lyrical expression to virtuosic brilliance.
Working closely with her longtime teacher, professor Cornelia Heard, she curated a program filled with contrast: Bartók, Beethoven, Sarasate, and Amanda Maier, among others.
“We worked on finding a lot of variation so I could show different characters within my playing,” she said.
Preparation extended far beyond practice. Shepherd studied scores, learned orchestral parts, and researched each composer’s background and intent. In the weeks leading up to nationals, she also performed multiple recitals at the Hilton Head Young Artist Performances concert series, giving her invaluable real-world experience with the same repertoire.
“After performing those recitals, I was able to feel very comfortable,” she said. “I went into the room knowing I’d performed these pieces four or five times before.”
Even with preparation, competitions can be mentally demanding, especially at the highest level, where the margin between performers is incredibly small.
“There’s a famous quote: ‘Competition is for horses, not artists,'” Shepherd said. “It’s very hard to judge one musician as better than another.”
Rather than focusing on outcomes, she centers her attention on performance. A mindset she credits directly to Blair.
“I would contribute a lot of my success to Blair’s support, both financially and emotionally,” she said.
That support was both practical and personal. Blair funded her travel, housing and meals for the competition, allowing her to focus entirely on her performance.
Equally important was the environment she returned to each day in Nashville.
Shepherd has studied with Professor Heard since she was 11, forming a rare, nearly decade-long mentorship.
“I feel like she’s a second mom to me,” Shepherd said. “When I go into lessons, it’s such a comfortable space that I can completely express myself.”
Before she left for Chicago, Heard offered simple advice: focus on playing well and being proud of the performance, regardless of the result.
“There is zero pressure from her. Zero pressure from the university,” Shepherd said. “What I love about Blair is that they really support students in all of their different accomplishments.”
That philosophy, supporting the whole student, not just the performer, has shaped how Shepherd approaches both music and competition.
“You can get focused on living in a practice room,” she said. “But Blair views musicians as whole people, not just someone who can play a wonderful recital.”
It’s a perspective that allows her to perform without fear.
“If the judges do not place me, that’s okay,” she said. “I do not equate it to my value as a player or as a person.”
Ironically, that freedom often leads to more compelling performances. The kind that resonate most deeply with judges.
By the time Shepherd took the stage in Chicago, the performance itself was simply the final step in a long process built on trust, preparation and support.
When the results were announced, she had earned the top prize.
Yet even with a national title, her focus remains forward-looking and grounded in the same community that helped her get there.
At Blair, she has served as concertmaster, performed major orchestral works, and built close relationships with faculty and peers. She points to the school’s collaborative spirit and small student-to-teacher ratio as central to her experience.
For all the visibility that comes with performing, Shepherd describes herself as naturally introverted, someone who finds her voice most clearly through her instrument.
“There’s such a strong sense of community and we can all get direct feedback from our professors. Music has allowed me to express myself in ways that words are not as natural,” she said
Next up: a summer at the Aspen Music Festival, where she will join fellow Blair students, extending that same sense of connection beyond campus.