Dr. Amy Harris is an experienced violin and viola teacher with over ten years of experience helping students excel on their instrument. In that time she has gotten students to play well using Suzuki Talent Education, as well as more traditional methodologies and texts. She has had students accepted to Texas All-State Orchestra for the past four years, and has been asked to give tutorials of these pieces to classes and online to help them prepare for Texas Region and All-State auditions.

She began her own violin studies at the age of three with Peggy Fasing. Upon graduation from High School, she went to the University of Northern Colorado and continued her violin studies with Professor Richard Fuchs, from there going to the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music to study violin with Piotr Milewski, and after a few years off, she then went to the University of Texas at Austin, Butler School of Music to study violin performance with Vincent Frittelli. She won awards at each school, including the Angie Southard Convocation Award (2000), the CCM Chamber Music Award (2003), and the Best Instrumental Performance at the Sydney M. Wright Competition (2009).

As a professional musician, she has played with many different orchestras and chamber groups, including the Colorado Springs Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic, Greeley Philharmonic, and the Austin Symphony.

She maintains professional memberships with Suzuki Institute of the Americas, Texas Music Educators Association, Pi Kappa Lambda honorary music fraternity, and the Delta Omicron music fraternity.

E-mail: violingrad@gmail.com

John Holguin grew up in El Paso, TX and received a B.M. in Music Education, cum laude in 2005. During his time at the University of Texas at El Paso, John spent four years as a member of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and performed occasionally with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra in New Mexico and the Symphony Orchestra in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

John completed his Masters of Music degree from Boston University, where he worked as a graduate assistant and orchestra manager while performing around the New England area.

In addition to being a classically trained violist, John began performing with Mariachi Los Pasajeros of El Paso in 2001, and in 2007 helped form and co-direct Mariachi Boston of Massachusetts. John was also a member of Mariachi Tamazula of Austin, TX until 2010.  John now calls Austin home and continues to perform with symphony orchestras around the Austin area and teaches privately.

E-mail: johnmholguin@gmail.com 

Website: www.johnmholguin.com

Alex Caplis-Tuttle grew up in San Antonio, Texas where she began her violin studies at the age of 10. In 2014 she graduated from Texas State University, San Marcos with a B.M. in Music Performance, magna cum laude.

During her time at Texas State, she performed with the Texas State Symphony Orchestra, the Texas State Opera Orchestra, and the Common Experience – Julliard Joins Texas State. In addition, she has performed with the Kingsville Symphony Orchestra and the Myriad String Quartet, and continues to perform in the central Texas area. Alex holds her certifications in Suzuki Books 1-3, and has maintained private violin studios in San Antonio and San Marcos, TX. She is currently a teacher at Monarch Suzuki Academy.

E-mail: actformusic24@gmail.com 

Abi Shiman loves helping students connect with their own creativity through music. She focuses on helping students learn to convey musical ideas with confidence, discover effective practice habits, and establish technical ease. She has a private violin and viola studio, is on faculty at Suzuki Strings of Austin, and is a teaching artist with Austin Soundwaves. She completed the 10 core units of Suzuki teacher training and incorporates the Suzuki philosophy into her teaching at all levels.

Ms. Abi is the Concertmaster of the Central Texas Philharmonic and is a rotating concertmaster with San Francisco’s unconducted orchestra One Found Sound, performing regularly with diverse ensembles wherever her violin takes her. Ms. Abi was a founding member of the Amaranth Quartet, an ensemble that toured, performed, recorded, led workshops, and collaborated with composers from 2013-2018. 

Every student has the ability, drive, and capacity to succeed at, love, and learn from the violin or the viola. She can’t wait to connect with you and help guide your child on their musical path!

M.M. San Francisco Conservatory of Music

B.A. Bard College in Violin Performance and German Studies

Suzuki Teacher Training Units 1-10 

Email: abigail.shiman@gmail.com

Website: www.abigailshiman.com

Kate Hattier was born and raised in Boerne, TX, Kate Hattier began her journey with violin at the age of 7 and added oboe to her list a few years later. While growing as a young musician, she was awarded a spot as a TMEA All State Oboist and performed various occasions alongside the San Antonio Symphony on violin. Kate participated in leadership with Youth Orchestras of San Antonio (YOSA), Hill Country Youth Orchestras (HCYO) and several other local groups on both violin and oboe.

In 2013, Kate accepted a Full Ride Presidential Scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. While in Boston, Kate was performing in venues like the Boston Opera House, Boston Symphony Hall and alongside a diverse group of artists including Dream Theater, Nobuo Uematsu, members of the Boston Ballet and Boston Symphony Orchestra. Kate completed her Bachelor’s Degree by graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2017.

Since her time at Berklee, Kate has worked in the music business in a variety of management and marketing roles such as an International Booking Agent for a boutique jazz agency in Europe, Festival Producer for the Panama Jazz Festival and Event Production Manager for her alma mater. She has spent the last few years back in the heat of Texas summers performing violin for weddings, corporate events, and more with Cello Vida, as well as her own solo gigs. Kate is excited to call Austin her new home and continue working with many amazing students on both violin and viola. 

Phone: 210.274.4416

Email: katehattier@gmail.com

Elizabeth Sook-Hee Lee is a dedicated performer and independent teacher residing in  the Austin, TX area. She completed a DMA in Cello Performance at the University of Texas at  Austin studying with Joshua Gindele of the Miro Quartet, and is currently a faculty member at Texas Lutheran University.  

Past studies have included degrees from Rice University and the San Francisco  Conservatory of Music as well as training in the Juilliard Pre-College division. Her principal  teachers have included Norman Fischer, Jean-Michel Fonteneau, Timothy Eddy, Hyung-Won  Chang, Andre Emelianoff, and Michael Kannen. 

Nominated by Austin Critics Table Award for Best Instrumentalist in 2009 for her  performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto, she is also committed to playing cello across many  music genres and enjoys exploring the many possibilities of sound. This commitment has led to  performances across North America, Asia, and Europe.  

Elizabeth was a prize-winner in the Yonkers Enrico Fermi Concerto Competition resulting  in a performance with the Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra at just 15 years old. She has also  been a featured soloist with the Balcones Community Orchestra, the Bainbridge Symphony  Orchestra, and the Texas Chamber Players. With a passion for chamber music, Elizabeth has  also performed as a chamber musician and recitalist in esteemed halls including the Overture  Center, Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall. In addition, In addition she has performed in  masterclasses for Mstislav Rostropovich, Paul Katz, Desmond Hoebig, Colin Carr and Lynn  Harrell. 

As a chamber musician, she has performed with artists Ian Swensen, Jorja Fleezanis,  Bonnie Hampton, Joel Krosnick, Jean-Michel Fonteneau, eighth blackbird, Bang On A Can All Stars, and the Colorfield Ensemble. Elizabeth is a founding member of the Sonorous Ensemble,  and Okean Trio premiering many newly composed works. As an orchestral musician, she has  performed with the Austin Symphony, Mid-Texas Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Santa Cruz  Symphony, and the San Francisco Lyric Opera. She has also ventured beyond classical music  and has recorded and toured with the bands Future of Forestry, Fernando Ortega, as well as  recorded for independent artists. You can follow her on social media and YouTube @cellomoji or  check out her website at https://www.cellomoji.com

Email: nonae5@gmail.com

Emily Theile is an experienced chamber player and orchestral musician, having served in the sections of multiple professional orchestras, including the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, the Central Texas Philharmonic, and as the principal cellist of the Texas State University Symphony Orchestra. In Austin, Emily is in demand as a private teacher and recording artist of multiple genres, from jazz to metal music. In her teaching she incorporates movement-based pedagogy and kinesthetics, and believes in fostering strong communication, anti-anxiety, and critical thinking skills in her students. Emily received her Master’s Degree in Cello Performance and Pedagogy from Texas State University, and also holds two Bachelor’s degrees in Music and English from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Email: emilymthiele@gmail.com

Ms. Ali Cook

Ali Cook is a professional instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and teacher and can be seen regularly performing orchestral, tango, opera, chamber, and new music across the country.

Ali has toured Russia with the National Symphony Orchestra as well as Germany, Turkey, Spain, and Austria with the Christoph Eschenbach and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

While earning her Master's at Indiana University she won a Tanglewood fellowship as well as the double bass concerto competition, performing Bottesini's Concerto No. 2 with the Orchestra.

Ali holds a Bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, and a Professional Orchestral Studies degree from Manhattan School of Music.

She has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Washington Ballet, Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Spoleto Festival USA, the Alabama Symphony, and at the Salzburger Festspiele.

 Email: alicook.music@gmail.com