Viola

Barbara Beechey

Recently appointed to the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Dr. Barbara Beechey has also taught full-time at the Lawrence University Academy of Music since 1999. With the belief that young students can successfully start on the viola instead of on the violin, she has developed a strong pre-college studio whose members have been accepted to schools such as Juilliard, Oberlin, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, among others. In the past, Dr. Beechey also designed and taught the upper string pedagogy course for the Lawrence Conservatory of Music.

Scott O'Donnell

Scott O’Donnell comes from Endwell, NY, where he began studying the violin at the age of seven. Two of Scott’s first teachers were Maryanne Wallenburg, Concertmaster of the Binghamton Symphony and Peter Marsh, first violinist of the Lennox Quartet. Five years later Scott studied with Elmar Oliviera, the first American violinist to win the prestigious Tchaikovsky competition.

Gregory Falkenstein

For the past seven years, violist and attorney Gregory Falkenstein has made his home in greater Miami, Florida, where he is actively engaged as a freelancer in both professions. He is currently a member of Opus One, the pit orchestra for Miami City Ballet, and holds a position as Adjunct Professor of Viola and Violin at Barry University in Miami Shores.

Rafael Ramirez

Beginning his viola studies at an early age in Venezuela, Rafael Ramirez became involved in classical music with “el Movimiento” Simon Bolivar in 1992. His honors include 2nd place at the State Mandolin Festival, Capacho, Venezuela, a full scholarship with the Slava Bogu String Quartet, Bogotá, Colombia, and First Prize winner of the chamber music competition at Florida International University (2006 and 2007). Mr.

Renata Hornik

Violist Renata Hornik, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, has received performance degrees from Kent State and Rice University. As a founding member of the Euclid Quartet, she received top prize in the Carmel national chamber music competition in 2000. Currently residing in Madison, Ms. Hornik is a member of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and has recently appeared as guest artist with the Oakwood Chamber Players and the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra.

Laura Wilcox

Canadian-American violist Laura Wilcox has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the Americas and Europe. She is active in performing and commissioning works from composers from North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Her studies included SUNY-Purchase in New York and McGill University in Montreal.

Dustin Budish

A native of Reno, Nevada, Dustin began his musical training at the age of eight studying the piano, but soon realized his true passion was for the viola. He went on to study at the Cleveland Institute with Jeffrey Irvine and then at the New England Conservatory with Martha Katz. While in school, Dustin was a founding member of the Mephisto Quartet, which performed alongside members of the Cavani, Tokyo, Vermeer, and Cleveland Quartets, and received the Russell Award at the Colman Chamber Music Competition.

Richard Fleischman

Violist Richard Fleischman has performed in twenty countries around the world and has been acknowledged for his "expert and sensitive performances" (Philadelphia Inquirer) and "commanding leadership" (San Francisco Chronicle). He was Winner of the 1988 Windsor Prize, presented by Leonard Bernstein, and the Edward Steuermann Prize, the highest honor bestowed by the Juilliard School. Born in New York City, Fleischman received degrees from the Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music.

Matthew Michelic

Matthew Michelic enjoys a diverse musical career as a teacher and performing violist. He has studied viola performance with William Primrose and Bernard Zaslav, string pedagogy with Mimi Zwieg, and has received coaching from members of the Amadeus, Cleveland, Fine Arts, Guarneri and Juilliard Quartets. Mr. Michelic has toured widely and recorded as a member of the DaVinci and Delos Quartets. Currently he is a professor at Lawrence University's Conservatory of Music, where he teaches viola, chamber music and classes in music history and orchestral literature.

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