Login | March 12, 2025
Global music assn. names Akron native as female entrepreneur of the year
Akron native Rozanna Lee Weinberger, owner of Rozanna's Violins, was presented with the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She received the accolade at the She Rocks Awards Show at the Hilton Anaheim on Jan. 25. She is pictured here at her booth at the 2025 NAMM show, which took place in late January at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. (Photo by Akron Legal News Reporter Sherry Karabin).
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: March 11, 2025
It’s been more than 15 years since Akron native Rozanna Lee Weinberger co-founded Rozanna’s Violins.
The company, which currently features uniquely designed acoustic violins, electric-acoustic violins, violas, cellos and multicolored Glow Bows for children and adults, has grown quite a bit since then.
The Juilliard trained musician, who now resides in New York City, said she initially started the business to help nurture children’s creativity and imagination.
“Now we have professional-level instruments for adults and have created customized violins for entertainers such as Raphael Batista, the CoverGirls Violin Show and the Drew Barrymore Show.”
Her journey toward expansion wasn’t always easy, but she said she’s remained committed to her mission of growing the string instrument community, creating a variety of high quality eye-catching options for musicians of all ages that resonate with the multitude of musical opportunities afforded modern players.
In late January, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) paid tribute to Weinberger presenting her with its Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
“The annual NAMM Female Entrepreneur of The Year recipient serves as an inspiration for existing female entrepreneurs and encourages others to challenge existing business and industry norms to further develop women-owned companies in the music industry,” NAMM President and Chief Executive Officer John Mlynczak stated in an email. “Rozanna certainly exemplified all of these traits.”
Weinberger received the accolade on Jan. 25 at the She Rocks Awards Show, which took place in the Hilton Anaheim Pacific Ballroom during the 2025 NAMM show in California.
The global trade show took place from Jan. 21 to Jan. 25 at the Anaheim Convention Center, attracting more than 63,000 attendees and over 1,850 exhibitors representing 4,400 plus brands, providing music enthusiasts with the opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and trends, attend educational seminars and network.
The She Rocks Awards are a NAMM-sponsored event founded in 2012 by the Women’s International Music Network, honoring trailblazing women from all areas of the music and audio industry.
In an emailed statement, Women’s International Music Network and She Rocks founder Laura Whitmore said Weinberger’s “innovative spirit, passion, and dedication to music and business embody everything we celebrate at the She Rocks Awards.
“Recognizing female entrepreneurs on this stage is critical—not just to honor their achievements, but to inspire and empower the next generation of women to break barriers and lead with confidence,” stated Whitmore.
“I was really honored to receive the award,” said Weinberger. “It came as a surprise to me in the aftermath of a tough year filled with many challenges.
“The award recognized my company’s efforts to create and foster a new product sector of bowed string instruments,” said Weinberger. “I modeled my company after the guitar world with carefully curated instruments whose designs resonate with popular styles and trends.”
Raised in Akron, Weinberger started playing piano at four, viola at nine and was composing music in the first and second grades.
In an earlier interview with the Akron Legal News, she discussed winning first prize in citywide composer contests while at Schumacher Elementary School, which she did for several consecutive years.
“I come from a musical family,” Weinberger said during the interview. “My mother was an opera singer and my three older brothers each played an instrument.
“Growing up we would have family concerts.”
While a student at Firestone High School, Weinberger performed in the Akron Youth Symphony Orchestra and took lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in music performance from the prestigious Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, she began working on her master’s degree at the University of Western Ontario, becoming one of the first Americans to perform at the Canadian Opera Company.
Weinberger completed her master’s degree at Juilliard, going on to have concertos written for her, including by composer Tania León.
She also performed on the runway during Fashion Week in New York City, on Broadway, in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and at many other events.
Weinberger said her inspiration for starting Rozanna’s Violins was twofold.
After reading an article in The New York Times about Juilliard graduates who were unable to find work, she said she began reflecting on what she could do to help younger students think more creatively and develop more varied skill sets to better equip them for the changing world of string playing as adults.
“Too many conservatory students see their options as playing in an orchestra or teaching, failing to think ‘out of the box.’
“This is especially important in today’s climate since many traditional classical music opportunities are waning while opportunities to perform all kinds of music genres continue to open up for players,” she said.
At the time, she was also teaching violin and working closely with a colleague who had many young Suzuki students.
“I wanted to create instruments that would help those students stay engaged,” she said. “That was my initial thinking when I started the business.”
While she considered viola her instrument, she said she didn’t think a company that focused solely on violas would resonate with the public.
However, violins, which she also played, were a different story.
“It was clear to me that the violin was a much more popular instrument and a much better starting point for creating a company,” Weinberger said.
And indeed it’s proven to be a successful formula.
When Weinberger started the business in 2009, she had a partner.
Now the sole owner of Rozanna’s Violins, Weinberger said she she’s looking to create partnerships and alliances with companies in the U.S. and abroad to scale the business to meet demand using low- and high-end technology.
“My company created an art form in designing violins by asking ourselves not only how to appeal to the player visually up close, but also just as importantly, how to imagine what the audience will see and what that tells them about the artist,” she said.
“This enhances the player’s ability to express themselves more fully.”
It was an extensive undertaking right from the start, requiring a number of pivots along the way, including during the pandemic.
During Covid, Weinberger said she found creative ways to reduce costs by consolidating her workspace.
She also moved her artwork application operations to the U.S., minimizing inventory overages.
Weinberger now takes a multipronged approach to marketing her products.
In addition to displaying her instruments at the NAMM show in California, she has attended music educator conventions and conferences.
Last year, she was invited to introduce her violins at a special New York City Department of Education Showcase.
“I am continuing to forge alliances with educational institutions and create custom instruments for more and more elite artists,” she said.
She also relies on social media to get the word out, including Pinterest, where she had over three million views in a one-month period last winter alone.
The company’s most popular violins include the Dragon Spirit, which was designed to be sold with the music from the HBO series Game of Thrones through Guitar Center.
Other popular designs include the Star Wars-themed Galaxy Ride, the Wrap Electric Acoustic and the Rose Delight Violin, available in acoustic and electric acoustic models.
“I recently came out with the Gilded Age Violin inspired by the Bridgerton series on Netflix along with the Native American Spirit Violin and Cello and Midsummer Fairy Violin.”
Violin prices range from $429 to $1,200, with custom violas and cellos starting at $500 and around $2,000 respectively.
The products can be purchased online via the company website rozannasviolins.com as well as on etsy.com, walmart.com, musiciansfriend.com and guitarcenter.com.
“I want Rozanna’s Violins to be synonymous with design innovation and high quality instruments worldwide,” said Weinberger. “I plan to continue to develop new designs, attract Angel investors and create alliances that allow us to do more mass production to meet demand around the world.”