Hello, and welcome to our newly updated website! Whether you are a parent, a student, teacher, alumni, donor, prospective student, or just curious, there is plenty to find here. So please look around and explore.
Founded in 1990, the String Academy of Wisconsin (SAW) has already become one of this country’s model schools, offering students between the ages of 4 and 18 a comprehensive musical education with a focus on the violin, viola or cello. Highly qualified artist faculty provide musical instruction based on the methods and philosophies of Mimi Zweig, Shinichi Suzuki, and Paul Rolland. The special training, experience, and expertise of the SAW faculty in the musical training of young people results in students playing with technical ease and musical sensitivity. SAW’s summer teacher training workshops are attended by string players from across the United States, Canada and Europe.
SAVE THE DATE: 20th Anniversary Celebration Concert, May 24th, 2010, 7:00 P.M. details to follow
The String Academy is excited to welcome back one of our most distinguished alumni, Dr. Erin Aldridge, to Milwaukee as she presents a guest recital on Friday, March 19th. Dr. Aldridge graduated from the String Academy in 1993 and went on to receive her doctorate degree. She is currently Professor of Violin at UW-Superior. She will be joined by pianist Chih-Yi Chen. Together they will be performing Mozart’s Sonata No. 1 in G Major, K. 301, Four Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 7 by Anton Webern, the Ravel Violin Sonata, and will finish with Brahm’s heroic Sonata No. 3 in d minor, Op. 108.
When: Friday, March 19, 2010, 7:30 P.M.
Where: Peck School of the Arts Recital Hall
Admission: Free and open to the public
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Artist Profiles
Erin Alderidge
Erin Aldridge has won numerous awards as both soloist and chamber musician and has been featured throughout Europe, South America, and the United States. She was a featured soloist at the John Downey Festival in London, performing the world premiere of his Irish Violin Sonata. In Solonsa, Spain she was a guest soloist and chamber musician at the AIMS festival. She has also performed numerous concerts throughout Uruguay as well as throughout the United States with the Dorothea Trio. She is a well sought after performer and pedagogue, and has been published in Strings Magazine.
Dr. Aldridge attended Indiana University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance. She received her Master’s degree and Performer’s Certificate in Chamber Music Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and was a member of the Leonard Sorkin Institute of Chamber Music under the direction of the Fine Arts Quartet. She continued her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance. Her primary teachers include Mimi Zweig, Josef Gingold, Nellie Shkolnikova, Rostaslav Dubinsky, Efim Boico, and Vartan Manoogian.
In 2003, Dr. Aldridge joined the music faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. She serves as Associate Professor of Violin, Director of Orchestras, and is a member of the faculty piano trio Trillium.
Chih-Yi Chen, piano
Pianist Chih-Yi Chen’s versatile qualities as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative player have distinguished her a rarity amongst all pianists. Her solo activities include concerts with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra with conductor Irwin Hoffman, and her latest appearances with the IU Wind Ensemble of a new piano concerto written by Stephen Paulus was praised “a fantastic performance” by the composer. Her works with a group of especially talented young violinists “the Indiana University Violin Virtuosi” directed by Mimi Zweig have given her recognitions as a specialist in violin repertoire and an increasingly sought-after ensemble player. Her concert appearances with the Violin Virtuosi have taken her throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, and her recent tours to France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, and Japan have been extremely successful and have made significant impact on young pianists around the globe.
Ms. Chen had been a faculty member at the IU Piano Department teaching piano accompanying and coaching collaborative pianists. She had also been the official pianist of the Indiana University Violin Virtuosi since 1998 and a faculty member of the IU Pre-College String Program since 2000. Recently she has appeared with violinist Joshua Bell in the Emmy Award nominated documentary “Circling Around”.
Pianist Chih-Yi Chen’s versatile qualities as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative player have distinguished her a rarity amongst all pianists. Her solo activities include concerts with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra with conductor Irwin Hoffman, and her latest appearances with the IU Wind Ensemble of a new piano concerto written by Stephen Paulus was praised “a fantastic performance” by the composer. Her works with a group of especially talented young violinists “the Indiana University Violin Virtuosi” directed by Mimi Zweig have given her recognitions as a specialist in violin repertoire and an increasingly sought-after ensemble player. Her concert appearances with the Violin Virtuosi have taken her throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, and her recent tours to France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, and Japan have been extremely successful and have made significant impact on young pianists around the globe. Ms. Chen has also appeared in numerous masterclasses with artists such as violinist Jaime Laredo and cellist Janos Starker, and has collaborated with countless musicians such as violinists and prize winners Barnabas Kelemen and Soovin Kim, violists Yuval Gotlibovich and Atar Arad, and cellist and pedagogue Csaba Onczay. She is a regular guest at the Indiana University Summer Festival and her upcoming concerts include a recital with Hungarian violinist Vilmos Szabadi. Ms. Chen has recently developed a series of accompanying courses at Indiana University for the undergraduate pianists and has been particularly successful in training potential accompanists.
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Ms. Chen began to show a remarkable gift as a pianist at an early age of 3. After finishing high school education with honors, Ms. Chen came to the United States and continued her musical studies at Indiana University, where she completed her bachelor and master degrees. She had worked with Lev Vlasenko, former chairman of the piano department at Moscow Conservatory, Michel Block, and the pianist of the former Borodin Trio Luba Edlina-Dubinsky.
Ms. Chen had been a faculty member at the IU Piano Department teaching piano accompanying and coaching collaborative pianists. She had also been the official pianist of the Indiana University Violin Virtuosi since 1998 and a faculty member of the IU Pre-College String Program since 2000. Recently she has appeared with violinist Joshua Bell in the Emmy Award nominated documentary “Circling Around”.
We are very excited to announce the addition of another guest masterclass at the String Academy with world-famous violinist Vadim Repin, to be held on March 6, 2010, at the UWM Peck School of the Arts Recital Hall from 10:30-12:00. This is the second class in a series of classes sponsored by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with the String Academy of Wisconsin and the Peck School of the Arts.
Vadim Repin will be in town to perform the sublime Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Milwaukee Symphony on March 5th, 6th, and 7th. (Tickets may be purchased here) Described by violin patriarch Yehudi Menuhin to be “simply the best, most perfect violinist I have ever heard,” Mr. Repin has taken his place as one of the greatest violinists of all time. You can learn more about this living legend at his website, or go to YouTube to see an incredible display of virtuosity during a performance of Paganini’s “Carneval di Venezia”.
What: Vadim Repin Masterclass
When: Saturday March 6, 2010, 10:30-12:00
Where: Peck School of the Arts Recital Hall
MSO Concert Dates: March 5th, 6th, and 7th
The master class is free and open to the public.
UPDATE:
Here is a photo after the class of Mr. Repin and the students who performed:
Tarryk Kalishek, Mr. Repin, Seth Leinbach, Rebekkah Ruetz
This Sunday, February 28, at 3:30 p.m. at the Schauer Arts and Activities Center (147 N. Rural St., Hartford, WI), the winners of Washington County’s 2010 Concerto Competition for Young Artists will perform in concert with the Kettle Moraine Symphony. Featured soloists will be Tarryck Kalishek and Rebekah Ruetz, violin students of Darcy Drexler. Tarryck will perform the 3rd mvt. of Concerto in C Major by D. Kabalevsky and Rebekah will perform the 1st mvt. (“Spring”) from the Four Seasons by A. Vivaldi. Please come out to the concert and support these outstanding SAW students!
UPDATE: Bravo to Rebekah and Tarryck! You played beautifully. Here are some photos from the concert:
On Saturday, February 6, 2010, the String Academy of Wisconsin held its annual Violin Competition and Cello Competition. Congratulations to all contestants on their performances, and especially to the winners:
CLAIRE COHEN, violin
(Air Varie No. 5 – C Dancla)
TARRYCK KALISHEK, violin
(“Spring” from the Four Seasons – A. Vivaldi)
A special thanks to Anne de Vroome Kamerling and Trischa Loebl for judging the competitions, and to pianists Steve Ayers and Andrea Velic for accompanying.
The winner from each level will be performing with the SAW Chamber Orchestra. The SAW Spring group concerts are at 10:00 am & 12 Noon on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at the UWM Peck School of the Arts Recital Hall.
This Saturday, February 13, MSO Principal cellist Joe Johnson will present a master class for SAW students. Participants will include Joanna Boyland, Allen Kang, Samuel Lee, and Kartik Papatla, accompanied by pianist Andrea Velic. The class, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the UWM Peck School of the Arts Recital Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon.
For anyone arriving after 10:30, please enter quietly through the rear entrance to the Recital Hall (from the lobby) during applause only. Please do not enter from the inside hallway across from Room 180 once the class has started. Thank you for your cooperation.
Joseph Johnson, cello
Joseph Johnson, cello
In 2002, Johnson was invited to the 12th International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow where he advanced to the semifinal round. In addition, he won first prize at the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Solo Competition.
Johnson, a native of Chicago, received a bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, where he was a student of Steven Doane. He went on to earn a master’s degree from Northwestern University.
Joseph Johnson became the Principal Cellist of the Milwaukee Symphony in September 2007 following an 11-year tenure with the Minnesota Orchestra. He has performed worldwide as soloist and chamber musician. He has soloed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Oakland East Bay Symphony, Northwest Florida Philharmonic, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony, and Minnesota Philharmonic. Johnson is principal cellist at the Grand Teton Music Festival, and has also performed at the Caramoor Chamber Music Festival, Bach Dancing and Dynamite, International Musicians’ Seminar at Prussia Cove, and the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan.
This Saturday, February 13, MSO Principal cellist Joe Johnson will present a master class for SAW students. Participants will include Joanna Boyland, Allen Kang, Samuel Lee, and Kartik Papatla, accompanied by pianist Andrea Velic. The class, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the UWM Peck School of the Arts Recital Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Noon.
For anyone arriving after 10:30, please enter quietly through the rear entrance to the Recital Hall (from the lobby) during applause only. Please do not enter from the inside hallway across from Room 180 once the class has started. Thank you for your cooperation.
On Saturday, January 30, almost 60 String Academy students participated in a recording of a special arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner, affectionately referred to as the “SAW” Spangled Banner. The level of excitement and discipline was was overwhelming, and the results speak for themselves. Congratulations to all who were involved! Keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned for further developments.
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Continue reading for Audio recording and photo gallery…
On Sunday, February 7 the SAW Violin Virtuosi and the Northwestern Strings from the pre-college program at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL will present a joint concert in the UWM Peck School of the Arts Recital Hall at 2:00 p.m. This performance is free and open to the public. It will feature both ensemble pieces and solos and will last approximately one hour. This is the latest in a series of annual collaborations involving the Violin Virtuosi and groups from other pre-college programs around the country.
Kartik Papatla observes a demonstration by Johannes Moser
On January 10, 2010, Johanness Moser gave a guest masterclass at the String Academy. The masterclass was one in a series of classes made possible by a partnership with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the String Academy of Wisconsin, and was atteneded by a large audience of students families, and guests. Four students participated in the class: Deborah Woo played Scherzo by Weber, Christian Morzinski performed Faure’s Elegy, Katie Wasielewsky introduced the audience to Van Goens’ Tarentella, and Kartik Papatla finished up will Haydn’s famous Cello Concerto in C. All were accompanied by fine pianist and SAW friend, Stefanie Jacob.
Mr. Moser’s charisma, warmth, and humor were a big hit with the audience and performers alike. Perhaps most memorable was his advice on vibrato. When discussing the importance of vibrating all notes in a passage, Mr. Moser said, “It’s like you have a family of four, but you only love two of your children.” His point, of course, was that we should “love”/vibrate all of our “children”/fingers/notes – and not play favorites!
Another helpful tip was an excellent vibrato exercise, which you can see demonstrated in the following video clip. “Every morning,” Mr. Moser told the class, turn on your metronome to 60, and practice first two vibratos per click/per bow, then three, then four, then six, then eight, until . . . you’re vibrating so fast that you “fly away!”
Many thanks to Mr. Moser and Milwaukee Symphony for making this class possible.
And from the mail bag:
Dear Darcy,
The cello master class was a wonderful event! Seamus was thoroughly capitivated– which at his age (7), was truly wonderful to see. The cello students did a fantastic job and Mr. Moser was extremely engaging.
Many thanks to you and to the String Academy for planning such a stellar experience. We feel very fortunate to be able to participate in the master class and the String Academy on the whole.
Best,
Grace
Grace La
Associate Professor
UWM School of Architecture & Urban Planning
Principal, LA DALLMAN www.ladallman.com
Several String Academy students did very well recently in some important competitions around town. Tarryck Kalishek, violin, was winner of the Milwauke Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Philharmonia concerto competition. Abigail Schneider was also given an Honorable Mention in the Sinfonia division
Tarryck, along with Seth Leinbach and Alexis Lindsey were given Honorable Mention at the 2010 Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition. They will now have the opportunity to play in the orchestra side-by-side in the Young Artist concert later this year. Congratulations on all your hard work and practicing!
Tarryck is a student of Darcy Drexler, Seth is a student of David Anderson, and Alexis and Abigail are students of Katherine Brooks.
On Saturday, February 6, 2010, the String Academy of Wisconsin held its annual Violin Competition and Cello Competition. Congratulations to all contestants on their performances, and especially to the winners:
On Sunday, February 7 the SAW 
