Robina Josephine Walker, of Todd, North Carolina, is an enthusiastic and results-driven high school student with a commitment to excellence in academics, music, and athletics. Throughout Josephine’s high school years, she has consistently demonstrated academic distinction, maintaining a perfect GPA while challenging herself with rigorous coursework. Josephine is not your typical student, blending a mixture of learning environments that allowed her to pursue her academic interests independently as well as collaboratively. She is very involved in her community and a friend and leader to many. Her creativity, diligence, and joy set her apart in many endeavors as a natural leader. Josephine lives a life different from most American teenagers, living on a sheep farm in the mountains in the far northwestern corner of North Carolina. These mountains are the epicenter of traditional music, where she has learned a style of playing that has opened doors to a bright future for her while harkening back to the sounds that have echoed there for centuries.

Josephine began her violin studies as a young girl blending classical training in the Suzuki method with traditional fiddling in the Scottish and Bluegrass styles. 

Josephine is currently a student of Dr. Ida Bieler at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). She also studies with Dr. Pedro Maia at Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music. Josephine was previously a long time student of Dr. Nancy Bargerstock and received highest remarks with the American String Teachers Association Certificate Advancement Program. Josephine has performed as a soloist at Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music Rosen Center. Additionally,  she has studied with Dr. Eric Koontz and Dr. Alexandra Dee at Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music.

Josephine played with the Appalachian State University Symphony Orchestra for several years, playing third chair, first violin as a high school student. Additionally, she played with the Appalachian State University String Quartet. She served as concertmaster of the Watauga High School Honors Orchestra from which she placed in the first violin section of the North Carolina State Honors Orchestra and North Carolina Western Regional Honors Orchestra. In 2025, she was principal second violin of the North Carolina Western Regional Honors Orchestra. Currently she plays in the second violin section of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra. 

Josephine has won numerous scholarships to further her classical violin studies including the Dottie Sink Sykes Scholarship for the Hayes School of Music Cannon Camp. Through scholarships, she has been able to attend distinguished summer intensives including the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music Orchestra Intensive, University of North Carolina School of the Arts Wildacres Strings Intensive, and the Hayes School of Music Cannon Summer Camp.

Josephine has been an accomplished fiddler from a young age, winning numerous regional and national fiddle competitions. As a bluegrass fiddler, she has won coveted titles at competitions including the Galax Old Time Fiddlers Convention and Appalachian State Fiddlers Convention. She has been invited to perform at the International Bluegrass Music Association Kids on Bluegrass, MerleFest Acoustic Kids Ambassadors, and PBS Woodsong Kids. She has won many bluegrass fiddling scholarships including the Tosco Music Youth Scholarship, Mark O’Connor Strings Camp Scholarship, and Wayne Henderson Scholarship. She is a bluegrass fiddle student of Deannie Richardson of the Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band Sister Sadie based in Nashville, TN. She also studies with the acclaimed musician Rex McGee at UNCSA and plays in a Roots Music ensemble under his direction.

Josephine is deeply involved in Scottish and Irish traditional arts where she excels as a Scottish fiddler. In addition to holding the esteemed title of Scottish Fiddle United States Junior National Champion, she has also won other major fiddle championships including the Grandfather Mountain Open Scottish Fiddle Championship. She has won many scholarships and been featured in various publications for her accomplishments. 

Josephine is also the lead violinist and vocalist in the Celtic folk band, Pickin’ Thistles, who have performed at prestigious music festivals including MerleFest, Appaloosa Festival, and World of Bluegrass. She co-wrote their single, Mountain Time Set, and also wrote the original upcoming release, The Old General Store.

Josephine gives back to the community as a beloved traditional fiddle instructor in the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program and the Blue Ridge School of Traditional Arts. She also created the event Music for the Mountains, featuring musicians from communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, raising thousands of dollars to benefit the NC Arts Disaster Relief Fund and the International Bluegrass Music Association Trust Fund. 

Outside of music, Josephine is a senior residential high school student at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts focusing on violin performance. She is excited to be learning in a conservatory style environment. Her education has been a unique blend of classically-directed homeschooling and cross-enrollment at the county high school, advanced placement courses, and dual-enrollment at multiple colleges, earning enough credits for an Associate in Arts degree. She has taken courses at Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, Caldwell Community College, and Franciscan University. She has excelled academically, making the President's List and achieving summa cum laude honors on the National Latin Exam. 

Josephine is also an accomplished athlete making the All State Cross Country team and helping her team win the North Carolina State Cross Country Championship. Josephine is also an Open Champion Irish dancer and Premier Scottish Highland dancer competing internationally and performing at major events including the New York City Tartan Day Parade. Josephine is a regional winning alpine ski racer with the Sugar Mountain Alpine Ski team where she also serves as an assistant coach for the youth development team. 

As a talented vocalist, she sang soprano two in the Watauga Honors Treble Choir and Audiovox A Capella ensemble where she was a featured soloist.

Josephine is honored to play on David Finck’s Opus 11 violin.