Resounding Legacy: The Shih-Pogrebnoy Family Composes a New Chapter at Baylor
From performing at Carnegie Hall and London’s Wigmore Hall to representing Canada at the Winter Olympic Games, Patricia Shih and Nikita Pogrebnoy have spent their lives as musicians on the world’s most celebrated stages. As founders of the acclaimed Borealis String Quartet, they have enchanted luminaries like the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Pope John Paul II, and collaborated with leading orchestras across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Yet, in 2019, after years of performing as many as 150 concerts a year, the couple chose to make their home in Waco, drawn by the desire to teach in Baylor University’s School of Music—a place that caught Shih’s attention and imagination in a quiet, unexpected way decades before.
A Green and Gold Spark
At age 14, Patricia Shih’s prodigious violin talent earned her a place under the tutelage of Josef Gingold, one of the world’s most influential violin pedagogues, who would later describe her as “one of the greatest talents I have ever taught.”
In his studio, Shih noticed a plaque tucked among mementos from some of the world’s greatest performers. It bore the name Baylor University, honoring Gingold as the 1993 recipient of Baylor’s Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching. That memory lingered. Years later, when the opportunity arose to join Baylor’s faculty, she felt an immediate sense of connection.
From World’s Stages to Baylor Studios
Today, as an associate professor of violin at Baylor University, Shih continues to perform internationally while also focusing her energy on her students.
“I strive for my students to become their own teachers, developing the skills to analyze, listen, and problem-solve independently. As I often say, if you can teach yourself in the practice room, you’ll never be without a great teacher,” Shih shared. “Passing on the wisdom of my own great mentors and witnessing students grow not only as musicians but as thoughtful individuals is deeply fulfilling.”
Shih’s husband, musician Nikita Pogrebnoy, shares her passion for both performance and teaching. Beginning on violin at a very young age like his wife, Pogrebnoy transitioned to viola at age 15, discovering what he describes as his “true voice.” A winner of the Valentino Bucchi International Competition in Rome, Pogrebnoy has performed across Russia, Europe, North America, and beyond.
Together, Shih and Pogrebnoy co-founded the Borealis String Quartet in 2000, combining innovation with tradition in ways that drew new audiences to chamber music on the world’s stages.
“Chamber music teaches you to listen deeply — not just with your ears, but with your whole self,” Pogrebnoy explained. “It’s about trust, responsibility, and learning to support one another while still finding your individual voice.”
These principles are at the heart of how both Pogrebnoy, a lecturer in instrumental studies, and Shih teach their Baylor music students each semester.
“I want my students to discover the same joy I have experienced with chamber music—the connection, the collaboration, the friendships that really do last a lifetime, and ultimately, the joy of making music together,” he said. “These lessons go beyond music; they are lessons in life.”
But passion for equipping and inspiring the next generation of Baylor students hits close to home for the couple in more than a proverbial way; it has taken the shape of their personal family legacy.
The Curtain Rises on The Next Generation
This fall, their son Nicholas Shih-Pogrebnoy became part of Baylor’s School of Music community, where he is majoring in violin performance and studying with Dr. Eka Gogichashvili, Associate Professor of Violin.
“With such a strong musical lineage, one might say that practice is practically encoded in my DNA,” Nicholas said. In fact, he first began his violin studies with Professor Anne Shih, his aunt and current Artistic Director at Musiktage am Rhein (Music Days on the Rhine Festival) and Professor of Violin at Hochschule für Musik Mainz (Mainz University of Music) in Germany.
Having grown up as a globetrotter accompanying his parents for their performances around the world, Nicholas now has his own international engagements, including an upcoming performance in Canada in February 2026, where he’ll be premiering a piece on violin that was specially written for him by a well-known Taiwanese composer after Nicholas was named the youngest finalist at a major competition in Taiwan.
Nicholas insists his path to Baylor was not inevitable but intentional. For him, Baylor represents both continuity and calling.
“There are so many reasons I chose Baylor,” he said. “Some are deeply personal—like my mother’s teacher and a close family friend who both had connections to Baylor. Others are about the mission of the school itself. At Baylor, music isn’t just about performance — it’s about using your gifts to serve others, glorify God, and connect with people on a deeper, spiritual level.”
Now playing with Baylor Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Jeffrey Grogan, Nicholas also occasionally performs as a substitute with the Waco Symphony Orchestra, of which he was the youngest person ever to audition. He balances this with his broad curiosity in STEM, a field where Nicholas finds surprising parallels to music.
“Music trains you to recognize patterns, to pay attention to detail, to hold memory — those same skills make you better at math, science, and even languages,” Nicholas, who has been fluent in Mandarin Chinese since childhood, explained.
His diverse interests and deep sense of self bring a fresh perspective on what it means to carry forward a family tradition without being defined by it.
“Even without the history and personal connections, I would still be very much drawn to Baylor,” Nicholas reflected. “Its strong Christian foundation, commitment to service and missions, and purpose-driven approach to education, especially in music, touches me deeply and aligns with my own [values]. That’s what makes Baylor feel like the right place for me to grow, not just as a musician, but as a person of faith.”
Baylor: The Sound of Home
The Shih-Pogrebnoy family’s story is one of artistry that transcends borders, yet it is also a story of roots—roots that have taken hold in Waco, at Baylor University, and now across generations.
For Patricia and Nikita, teaching at Baylor has allowed them to extend their impact beyond the concert stage and to a person-to-person level, shaping students who will carry music into communities and cultures around the world.
“What we do as teachers at Baylor is really about planting seeds,” Shih said. “It’s not only about developing musicians but developing whole people who can contribute with compassion and excellence wherever they go.”
For Nicholas, stepping onto campus as a student has made Baylor more than his parents’ workplace — it has become his own chosen home.
“I love everything about Baylor — the green and gold, the beautiful campus, the traditions, the energy, and the heart,” he said. “There is that ‘something extra’ here that makes it feel like the right place for me to grow.”
In many ways, his presence represents a continuation of the family’s musical journey. Yet it also signals something new: a young musician embracing Baylor not simply as a legacy but as a personal commitment.
“Being at Baylor, surrounded by people who share the same or similar values and are committed to excellence is so inspiring,” Nicholas reflected. “It’s going to challenge me to become the best version of myself.”
From Gingold’s studio in Indiana to the concert halls of the world, and now to Baylor’s campus, the Shih-Pogrebnoy family embodies the enduring power of music — to connect generations, inspire students, and create a home for artistry rooted in community.
Don't miss the Fall Chamber Music recitals happening this week, with all three Shih-Pogrebnoy family members present.
Fall Chamber Music Recitals: Thursday, November 20, 2025
Watch Nicholas and the rest of the talented Baylor Symphony Orchestra perform in the new year:
Baylor Symphony Orchestra Concerts