Joanna R. Mendoza

Joanna R. Mendoza is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), where she joined in 2008. She holds a dual role as a performer with the Arianna String Quartet and an educator, teaching applied music, chamber music, and upper-level music history. She co-teaches an interdisciplinary course in the Pierre Laclede Honors College with UMSL Chemistry Professor James Bashkin, bridging music and STEM fields.

Her musical career includes membership in the Arianna String Quartet, renowned for recordings of Janacek and Beethoven quartets on Centaur Records, and prior membership in the Harrington String Quartet, which received a Grammy nomination for a Daniel McCarthy album. Mendoza trained at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and The Juilliard School.

Her research interests emphasize chamber music performance, pedagogy, and interdisciplinary connections. Notable recordings include the Beethoven Middle Quartets (2017) and live performances at St. Olaf College (2016) featuring works by Beethoven, Debussy, and contemporary composer Kevin Puts.

Awards include contributions to the Grammy-nominated Harrington Quartet project. She actively engages in chamber music outreach and maintains a robust performance schedule across the U.S. and internationally.