Genevieve is a cello performance and music education double major at West Chester University. Genevieve has been playing cello for ten years and has extensive experience playing and performing string instruments in orchestras, chamber groups, and as a soloist across Pennsylvania and New York. Genevieve has also completed all four levels of West Chester University’s piano courses and is studying the violin as a violin performance minor. Currently, Genevieve holds leadership positions in several musical organizations such as the West Chester University Symphony Orchestra, The WCU Cello Ensemble, the WCU Gracenotes, and Sigma Alpha Iota (a professional music fraternity for women). Genevieve is also actively involved with the American String Teacher’s Association, Pi Kappa Lambda (a music honors fraternity), and the Honors Student Association. Genevieve has several years of experience teaching private lessons and is focused on creating a personalized experience for each of her students that places her student’s goals as a first priority and combines several different teaching methods to match with each student’s individual learning style.
Hope Linton – Violin, Piano
Hope
A recent graduate of West Chester University, Hope completed her violin performance degree with highest academic honors in May of 2013. She was privileged to serve as concertmaster of West Chester University’s Symphony, Chamber, and Baroque Orchestras. Hope started playing the violin at age eleven. In the years that followed, she enjoyed performing music locally and professionally with her six musical siblings. Her family was honored to share music, among other places, at the State Capitol Rotunda (Harrisburg, PA) and at the White House (Washington, DC).
Her teaching philosophy focuses on three essential elements: positivity, creativity, and productivity. Coupling thoughtful insight with contagious enthusiasm, Hope teaches in a down-to-earth, relevant way that makes the student her number one focus. In her free time, Hope can be found solfeging Disney songs, baking delicious food, or blogging about life as a musician (thecasualviolinist dot blogspot dot com). She is planning on attending graduate school for music next fall.
Kadie Bond – Violin, Piano
Kadie
Kadie Bond is a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education with a concentration in violin performance and a minor in Music History. Kadie is currently the string teacher at Unionville High School and Patton Middle School, in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District. Kadie has worked previously as a string teacher in Philadelphia, where she conducted her students at the Kimmel Center. She has been playing violin for fifteen years, and has also studied viola, piano and guitar.
Her performance experience includes the Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, West Chester Symphony Orchestra, West Chester Chamber Orchestra, West Chester Baroque Ensemble and various string quartets. She has performed and toured with orchestras in Pennsylvania, New York, China, and Italy. She is currently the second violinist for Tetrada Strings, a professional string quartet. Kadie has taught private string and piano students from beginners to intermediate levels, from age 5 to adult. She enjoys sharing her love and passion for music with her students.
Rafael – Violin
Rafael
Rafael was born in Brazil and had his first contact with the violin in his home country. He was the concertmaster of the Limeira Chamber Ensemble and first violin with the Limeira Symphony Orchestra.
Rafael participated in all major music festivals in Brazil including, Campos do Jordao International Music Festival, Santa Catarina International Music Festival, Vale Veneto International Festival. He was also three times the recipient of a full scholarship for the Bay View Music Festival in Michigan, USA. He appeared in the master classes of Shmuel Ashkenasi (Curtis Institute of Music) Chaim Taub (Concertmaster Israel Philharmonic), Glenn Dicterow (Concertmaster New York Philharmonic), Charles Castleman (Eastman School of Music), Levon Ambartsumian (Moscow Conservatory) and soloists such as Boris Belkin, Elissa Koljonen and Kristof Barati. Additionally, Rafael studied chamber music with the members of the Vermeer quartet and Saint Louis String quartet.
Rafael has captured 1st prizes at the Carlos Gomes Violin competition, received three prizes (including best chamber music and critics award) at the Mu Phi Epsilon Music Scholarship Competition in Washington DC. In 2014, Rafael received the coveted Fumagalli Trophy for his continuous work in enhancing the cultural life in Brazil.
In 2008, he moved to the United States to pursue his Bachelor of Music at James Madison University, where he studied under Dr Wanchi Huang and Max Rabinovitsj. Throughout the four years at this institution, Rafael was first violin with the JMU Symphony Orchestra and featured as soloist with the Monticello Strings, a Faculty and Students ensemble. Rafael’s academic honors include the President’s / Dean’s list, and membership to the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Music Society. His essay, “L’arche, la voix du violon”. A survey on the changes of the violin bow” was selected to integrate the course handbook for historically informed performance.
After graduating, Rafael was a teacher at the Music Education Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he held a full violin studio and coached private violin/viola lessons, orchestral and chamber music.
He is the founder and artistic director of the International String Encounter, in Brazil and often teaches at summer festivals such as the Music Festival of Piracicaba. As a performer, his recitals and concerts were heard in Virginia, Michigan, Florida, Washington D.C. and South America.
Rafael received a full scholarship to the Master’s program at the West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where he studies under the tutelage of Sylvia Ahramjian and currently serves as the Concertmaster of the West Chester Symphony Orchestra.
He is also a pupil of Max Rabinovitsj (Former Concertmaster Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra).
When Rafael is not performing or practicing the violin, he enjoys reading, good coffee, running and hiking. Besides English, Rafael speaks Portuguese and Spanish fluently. He is mastering French in order to become a polyglot.
“Music is the only universal language; I personally believe that music is about expressing your thoughts and feelings clearly without the use of words. Therefore, music is a wonderful way to reach and communicate with other people. In order to do so, two things are necessary, great preparation and the proper state of mind, only then students are able to raise their communication level, consequently, increase their playing skills. As a teacher, it is my goal to help students to enjoy music and the creative processes behind learning an instrument so they can succeed to the best of their abilities in expressing their thoughts and individuality throughout music.”
String Teachers
Genevieve
Hope
Her teaching philosophy focuses on three essential elements: positivity, creativity, and productivity. Coupling thoughtful insight with contagious enthusiasm, Hope teaches in a down-to-earth, relevant way that makes the student her number one focus. In her free time, Hope can be found solfeging Disney songs, baking delicious food, or blogging about life as a musician (thecasualviolinist dot blogspot dot com). She is planning on attending graduate school for music next fall.
Kadie
Her performance experience includes the Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, West Chester Symphony Orchestra, West Chester Chamber Orchestra, West Chester Baroque Ensemble and various string quartets. She has performed and toured with orchestras in Pennsylvania, New York, China, and Italy. She is currently the second violinist for Tetrada Strings, a professional string quartet. Kadie has taught private string and piano students from beginners to intermediate levels, from age 5 to adult. She enjoys sharing her love and passion for music with her students.
Rafael
Rafael participated in all major music festivals in Brazil including, Campos do Jordao International Music Festival, Santa Catarina International Music Festival, Vale Veneto International Festival. He was also three times the recipient of a full scholarship for the Bay View Music Festival in Michigan, USA. He appeared in the master classes of Shmuel Ashkenasi (Curtis Institute of Music) Chaim Taub (Concertmaster Israel Philharmonic), Glenn Dicterow (Concertmaster New York Philharmonic), Charles Castleman (Eastman School of Music), Levon Ambartsumian (Moscow Conservatory) and soloists such as Boris Belkin, Elissa Koljonen and Kristof Barati. Additionally, Rafael studied chamber music with the members of the Vermeer quartet and Saint Louis String quartet.
Rafael has captured 1st prizes at the Carlos Gomes Violin competition, received three prizes (including best chamber music and critics award) at the Mu Phi Epsilon Music Scholarship Competition in Washington DC. In 2014, Rafael received the coveted Fumagalli Trophy for his continuous work in enhancing the cultural life in Brazil.
In 2008, he moved to the United States to pursue his Bachelor of Music at James Madison University, where he studied under Dr Wanchi Huang and Max Rabinovitsj. Throughout the four years at this institution, Rafael was first violin with the JMU Symphony Orchestra and featured as soloist with the Monticello Strings, a Faculty and Students ensemble. Rafael’s academic honors include the President’s / Dean’s list, and membership to the Pi Kappa Lambda Honor Music Society. His essay, “L’arche, la voix du violon”. A survey on the changes of the violin bow” was selected to integrate the course handbook for historically informed performance.
After graduating, Rafael was a teacher at the Music Education Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he held a full violin studio and coached private violin/viola lessons, orchestral and chamber music.
He is the founder and artistic director of the International String Encounter, in Brazil and often teaches at summer festivals such as the Music Festival of Piracicaba. As a performer, his recitals and concerts were heard in Virginia, Michigan, Florida, Washington D.C. and South America.
Rafael received a full scholarship to the Master’s program at the West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where he studies under the tutelage of Sylvia Ahramjian and currently serves as the Concertmaster of the West Chester Symphony Orchestra.
He is also a pupil of Max Rabinovitsj (Former Concertmaster Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra).
When Rafael is not performing or practicing the violin, he enjoys reading, good coffee, running and hiking. Besides English, Rafael speaks Portuguese and Spanish fluently. He is mastering French in order to become a polyglot.
“Music is the only universal language; I personally believe that music is about expressing your thoughts and feelings clearly without the use of words. Therefore, music is a wonderful way to reach and communicate with other people. In order to do so, two things are necessary, great preparation and the proper state of mind, only then students are able to raise their communication level, consequently, increase their playing skills. As a teacher, it is my goal to help students to enjoy music and the creative processes behind learning an instrument so they can succeed to the best of their abilities in expressing their thoughts and individuality throughout music.”