- The results are being filtered by the character: S
Debra currently performs violin and viola with the Atlanta Opera Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Pops, Augusta Opera, and Augusta Choral Society, and the Lyra Vivace Chamber Orchestra. She is on the Athens Academy music faculty and teaches orchestra for grades ranging from 2 through 12. In addition to her position at the Academy, she has an active private studio of over 50 violinists and violists.
Prior to her work at the Academy, Debra was fifth grade orchestra teacher in Clarke County. She has taught Suzuki violin for over 22 years (receiving extensive Suzuki training from Alice Joy Lewis, Kay Sloan and Almita Vamo), including work as the director of Suzuki programs at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, and Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, and is currently on faculty of the Morningside College Suzuki Institute and Advanced String Camp in Sioux City, Iowa.
She is often a clinician for Suzuki workshops in a region that expands from Georgia to Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, Illinois and Iowa. Debra was a violinist in the Savannah Symphony Orchestra for over 10 years and while living in Savannah, served on the educational staff of the Savannah Symphony and directed the Savannah Symphony’s Junior String Ensemble.
She also taught violin, string methods/pedagogy and directed the Suzuki Program at Armstrong State University in Savannah, Georgia, and at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. Prior to her faculty positions in Athens GA, Debra had time to perform with the Hilton Head Chamber Orchestra, Augusta, Charleston and Greenville Symphonies. Debra received her Master’s degree in violin performance from Western Illinois University and Bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Angela regularly performs with the Augusta Opera, Lyra Vivace Chamber Orchestra, and Augusta Choral Society. She is often guest violinist and violist with the Magellan String Quartet and the Kiokee Quintet. Angela teaches private violin/viola lessons at the Carolina String Academy in Aiken and the Augusta State University Conservatory Program.
She attended Augusta State University, where she received a Bachelor in Music Education. She was violin pupil of Dr. Angela Morgan, and studied viola with Carl Purdy. Angela is an Augusta, Georgia, native. Angela lives in Augusta with her husband, double bassist Travis Shaw, and their daughter Caeden.
Laurin Smith’s distinguished music background includes two higher education degrees in both violin and viola, studies with Itzhak Perlman, Masao Kawasaki, Dorothy Delay, and Andrew Galos, and experiences performing as a violinist, violist and conductor in Europe, Asia, and across the U.S.A. (including orchestra director and chamber music coach along with the Colorado String Quartet at Soundfest in Falmouth, MA)
Laurin makes his home in northern Georgia, is the music director and conductor of the North Georgia Chamber Symphony, and works as adjunct professor of violin, viola, and string division director at the University of North Georgia in Gainesville, GA.
Additionally, Laurin regularly travels to perform with several southeastern professional music ensembles, including the Symphony Orchestra Augusta, Augusta Choral Society, Lyra Vivace Chamber Orchestra, and the Augusta Opera. He also serves the southeastern professional music culture by performing with and leading various regional chamber music and educational organizations, including work as both performer and teacher at the Laurel Ridge Music Camp.
A native of Germany, Uli Speth studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg/Austria, where he participated in numerous performance classes given by Yfrah Neaman, Thomas Brandis, Jaap Schroeder, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, among others. He subsequently earned his Master of Music degree from the Mannes College of Music where he was a student of Felix Galimir, from whom he received both violin and string quartet training.
For over 20 years, Uli was first violinist of the Diller-Quaile String Quartet in residence at the Diller-Quaile School of Music in New York. With this group, he played concerts throughout the U.S., commissioned and premiered new pieces for string quartet and performed live on Vermont Public Radio and KMFA of Texas. As a chamber musician, Uli is a founding member of the Castalia String Quartet, and has enjoyed the opportunity of performing alongside soloists and members of the Hagen, Pro Arte, Cavaliere, and Ying quartets.
Uli’s recent solo performances of concerti by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Vaughan Williams, as well as his recitals with pianist Mary Robbins, have earned him praise by the critics for his“brilliant sound and facile fingers” (Austin American Statesman) and “gorgeous tone and stunning technique” (Salzburger Nachrichten).
As an orchestral musician, Uli has spent over 20 years performing with New York City Opera at
Lincoln Center and since 2005, he serves as concertmaster of the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been invited as guest concertmaster by numerous orchestras, including Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Schenectady Symphony, Wichita Symphony and others. He has performed with numerous internationally known conductors and soloists, including conductors James Levine, Gerard Schwarz, Kurt Masur, as well as violinists Joshua Bell, Midori, singers Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli and many others.
In 2019, Uli was appointed Mentor Musician with the Garden State Philharmonic,
performing as concertmaster, as well as performing solo and chamber recitals in New Jersey.
In recent years he has served on the panels of several state and national violin competitions. Uli serves on the faculties of Hartwick College, The College of New Jersey and Eastern Music Festival, and is music director of Little Delaware Youth Ensemble.
Top of Page