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Email: elvinhsieh32@gmail.com
Teaching Location: South Bay Area (in homes)
Located in: Mountain View
Elvin Hsieh
A Bay Area native, Elvin Hsieh began studying violin with Xiaoli Chen, and later trained with esteemed pedagogues including Li Lin, Chen Zhao, Varty Manouelian, Movses Pogossian, and Ian Swensen — renowned faculty at institutions such as The Juilliard School, SFCM, and UCLA. With the latter, he pursued his degree in Music Performance, Music Industry, and Musicology. During his time there, he was awarded the Dean’s Medal and completed his studies on a full scholarship. Elvin has been a featured soloist and has served as concertmaster in multiple ensembles such as the UCLA Philharmonia and the California Youth Symphony. He has had the rare privilege of being loaned multiple historical instruments, including a Stradivarius violin and Voirin bow, which he performed on as a soloist with the UCLA Philharmonia. Elvin has appeared both as a soloist and orchestral violinist/violist at prestigious venues across the world, including at Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein, and the Rudolfinum. Today, he remains an active musician, leisurely performing and touring with several ensembles throughout the Bay Area. Elvin has also made a strong impact on music education across the Bay Area. His previous role as the Lead Orchestra Teacher in MVWSD, as well as his posts at The Harker School and at CSMA, were instrumental to carrying his vision of bringing music to the next generation. Many of the students he has worked with, both inside and outside of his private studio, have earned accolades in violin, viola, and music theory, and participate in ensembles throughout the Bay Area. Aside from his performance and teaching career, Elvin has a presence on the business side, currently working as the Artistic Operations Manager with the Golden State Youth Orchestra. He has worked with several labels and management companies primarily focusing on artist management and marketing, including projects marketing top-40 artists such as Gracie Abrams.
Carolyn Shannon
Email: carolyntheviolinist@gmail.com
Website: https://carolyntheviolinist.mymusicstaff.com/home
Teaching Locations: San Jose, Mountain View
Carolyn has been teaching and performing violin in the Bay Area since 2013. She has studios in San Jose and Mountain View. She is passionate about meeting students where they are and guiding them to achieve success as musicians.
Ms. Terra is violinist and edagogue located in the Bay Area. She has a Masters degree in Pedagogy and Performance from Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelors degree in Violin Performance from Arizona State University. She has taught at major universities, including the University of Kentucky and University of North Texas where she was also the Assistant Director of the String Project. Ms. Terra is the Director of the Suzuki Music School in San Jose, directs the String Project at SJSU, and is a coach for the Sunnyvale Youth Philharmonic. Ms. Terra's Suzuki violin journey began when she was a young vhild. Since she began teaching the Suzuki method, she has been an active member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She received regular training and is committed to lifelong learning. Some of her biggest influences have been her own teachers, Dr. Katherine LcLin, and Violaine Melançon, as well as her teacher trainers, including Judy Bossaut-Gallic, Charles Krigbaum, and Danette Warren. When Ms. Terra isn't teaching, she's out biking or hiking with her family, petting her two cars, or gardening.
Sarah Chavarria
Phone: (510) 712-6186
Email: sarahchavarria24@gmail.com
Teaching Locations: Cupertino, San Jose, San Bruno, San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Oakland, Palo Alto, Fremont, Santa Clara
Sarah Chavarria is a Bay Area Native violinist with a love in exploring multitudes of genres from Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, R&B and Fiddle Music.
She started her studies at the age of 12 with Asuka Yanai in the program YMCO (Young Musicians Choral Orchestra), a choral orchestra whose mission is to provide intensive music training and achieve academic excellence. Sarah attended this program from 2012-2018. Nourishing her love for music, Sarah has played with Berkeley Youth Orchestra, Muse Vivo Program, and Oakland Youth Orchestra expanding to the Orchestra Repertoire. She attended Oakland School for the Arts where she spent on rigorous music training taught by Justin Ouellet.
Outside of school, she studied under Joseph Gold, a graduate from University of Southern California and a pupil of Jascha Heifetz. She has performed music from R&B to Hip Hop to Pop in venues from the Grace Cathedral, Yoshis, Cal Performances, and Yerba Buena Center with Kev Choice, Derek Sup, Alexander String Quartet and Kronos Quartet.
Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance at San Jose State University, where she studied with Bruce Moyer. During her time she has played with Mads Tolling, Catalyst Quartet, and Pasquale Esposito. Sarah was invited to study with Madeline Mitchell in the Llandovery Music Festival in the UK for the summers. Recently Sarah is exploring the world of Rock and Roll on Violin, that's not to say she’ll stop her love of classical music. She has performed with the San Francisco Philharmonic Orchestra & Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra.
Cathy Blair
Email: cathyb924@yahoo.com
Teaching Location: home studio in Campbell
Cathy Blair, a central IL native, began playing viola in 4 th grade in her public school. She went on to earn a BA in both music and psychology at IL Wesleyan University. Since moving out to the Bay Area nearly 25 years ago, she has enjoyed a rich performance and teaching career. She has played in many Bay Area regional orchestras, including Sacramento Philharmonic, Monterey Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Merced Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony, and Bay Philharmonic. She also travels occasionally to perform in Reno Philharmonic. Teaching is an equally important part of her musical career. She has maintained a private studio out of her home for many years. In addition, she currently is in her 13 th year of coaching at Los Gatos High School and also coaches at Evergreen High School (violas and 2 nd violins). She has also coached at Lawson Middle School, Lincoln High School, and Saratoga High School. In addition, she has had the pleasure of being a coach for the Intermezzo ensembles at the San Jose Youth Symphony summer music camp for the past three summers.
Jacob Hill
Email: jacobhillcello@gmail.com
Phone: (510) 909-1653
Jacob Hill is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley, where he studied cello
with Jonathan Koh. He has performed all over the world at venues such
as the Vienna Musikverein, the Berlin Konzerthaus, Smetana Hall in
Prague, and Hertz Hall in Berkeley. He has also received private
lessons from master cellists at leading orchestras and conservatories
in the US and abroad. Jacob regularly performs with professional orchestras around the Bay Area and gigs frequently in Wine Country and San Francisco. Most notably, Jacob has had the opportunity to perform on the Eagles Hotel California Tour, the UC Berkeley Symphony Europe Tour, and the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Orchestra World Tour. In college, he spent at least a semester playing in every department sponsored ensemble and
more, most notably as a section cellist in the UC Berkeley Symphony
and principal cellist in the UC Berkeley Chamber and Philharmonia
Orchestras. As a teacher, Jacob stresses the importance of building effective practice techniques as well as a solid technical foundation for any cellist.
Abraham Aragundi
Contact info/links: abrahamcello@gmail.com
Teaching Location: SONO Strings 171 E El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040
A native of southern california, Abraham Aragundi, began his cello studies with well respected performer and instructor, Margaret Edmondson. In 2006, he embarked on a journey to Northern California to begin his advanced cello studies with world renowned cellist and pedagogue Irene Sharp (eventually becoming her teaching assistant). Mr. Aragundi has held principal posts with the BHYS, the Suzuki String orchestra, The Barrio Symphony, The UC Berkeley Baroque Ensemble, the Los Angeles Community Orchestra and the Cal Arte Ensemble. He has also substituted and performed as a section cellist with the Monterey Symphony, The Cadenza Chamber players Capriccio Chamber Orchestra, Peninsula Symphony, etc. Additionally, he has been featured in cello and chamber master classes conducted by Irene Sharp, Aaron Dworkin (founder of the sphinx competition), Cecilia Tsan (winner of the Menuhin award, Barcelona international competition and Florence international competition etc.), Imani Winds, Trio Mosaique, Peter Quesada (Conductor: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carson Symphony etc.), Wendy Sharp (award winning violinist-Faculty of Yale), Susan Svrcek (winner of the Concert Artists’ Guild international Competition), and John Dornenburg ( Professor of Early Music- Stanford University). In 2012, Abraham Aragundi became the owner of a handsome contemporary cello, awarded by American Luthier, Charles Harman. Abraham graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a B.A in Music. During his time in CAL, Abraham studied under noted baroque cellists William Skeen, Elizabeth Reed and Bach- Scholar, Davitt Moroney.
Abraham’s teaching style has been described as fresh, innovative, passionate, welcoming and inspiring. His students are members of well respected youth symphonies such as: El Camino Youth Symphony, California Youth Symphony, San Jose Youth Symphony, California Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, The Palo Alto Chamber Youth Orchestra and the Sunnyvale Youth Philharmonic. Students of his cello studio have also won regional/local competitions in both the solo and chamber music categories. Mr. Aragundi has more than 15 years of teaching experience. His students range in age from 5 years old to 70 years old. His wide range of cello repertoire and golden patience have been monumental assets for inspiring cellists of all levels and capabilities.
Peter Gelfand
Email:pqmg@sbcglobal.net
Phone: (408) 823-9175
Teaching Location: Silver Creek Valley Country Club
Peter Gelfand served as Principal Cellist with the San Jose Symphony/Symphony Silicon Valley from 1985-2017. He has served as Guest Lecturer in Cello at Stanford University and the San Francisco Conservatory, and was a member of the music faculty at Santa Clara University from 1993-2017, and at San Jose State University from 2013-2017. Mr. Gelfand currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors with the California Music Center, host and presenter of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition. He serves annually as a judge with the U.S. International Music Competition, presented by the Chinese Music Teachers' Association of Northern California. He has served previously as a Trustee with the American Beethoven Society/Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies at San Jose State University and with Arts Council Silicon Valley, as a County Commissioner with the Santa Clara County-Province of Florence, Italy, Sister County Commission and as a member of the Executive Board with the A.F. of M. Musicians Union, Local 153.
Thomas Shoebotham
Phone: 650-380-6805
Email: celloshoe@gmail.com
Website: https://shoebotham.studio/
Teaching Locations: Palo Alto and Mountain View.
Thomas Shoebotham has taught and performed on the cello in the Bay Area for over 25 years. In past seasons he made solo appearances with the Oakland Civic Orchestra, Kensington Symphony, and Palo Alto Philharmonic, and gave solo and chamber music recitals in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New Mexico, Illinois, and New York. As an orchestral player he has appeared with New Mexico Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, Sacramento Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, Symphony Silicon Valley, the Illinois Philharmonic, and numerous other professional ensembles. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Thomas holds a B.M. in Cello Performance from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He continued his studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he was awarded a M.M. in Cello Performance and Literature. He has taught in many public and private settings, including several elementary and high schools, colleges, the Music in Schools Foundation, and private studios, for students in a variety of age ranges. He has coached many student chamber groups and youth orchestra cello sectionals. Also a noted conductor, he has directed performances for a number of groups, including Emerald City Opera, Opera San Jose, Berkeley Opera, Peninsula Symphony, West Bay Opera, Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra, Albuquerque Philharmonic, and Palo Alto Philharmonic.
Bass Teachers
Bass Teachers
More coming soon!
Victor Rodrigo Ruiz
Website: https://www.victorrodrigoruiz.com/
Phone: (510) 434-6702
Email: vcicrrp510@gmail.com
Teaching locations: In home in South Bay Area and from my residence
Located In: Downtown San Jose
Victor Rodrigo Ruiz started his musical journey at the young age of 10. He has had an extensive journey going through different instruments starting from guitar and finally ending with double bass. He started his journey on bass when he joined a music program in Berkeley called Young Musicians Choir and Orchestra where he began taking Double Bass lessons. He went to study Classical Bass Performance at San Jose State University with Bruce Moyer in 2015 and graduated with his degree by May 2025. During his time at SJSU, Victor has branched out in his community and has had the opportunity to perform with groups such as the Santa Cruz Symphony, Stockton Symphony, One Found Sound, Chamber Music Silicon Valley, and Pocket Opera to name a few. Besides his performance career, Victor is also a Double Bass coach for a number of schools and programs, teaches privately, and is an Operations Manager for the San Jose Youth Symphony. Outside of Music, he also has a love of cats, aquariums, and finding magical hiking trails.
Ryan Trujillo
Website: ryantrujillomusic.com
Phone: (530) 941-4455
Email: Rtrujillo2112@live.com
Teaching Locations: Cupertino, Santa Clara, student homes
Bassist Ryan Trujillo is one of San Francisco Bay Area's most prominent working musicians and jazz educators. Holding a bachelor's and master's degree in jazz studies from San José State University, Trujillo combines his rich musical knowledge and virtuosic musicianship with an uncompromising passion for groove, expression, and improvisation. A California native, Ryan Trujillo began his formal musical education in 2011 at Redding CA’s Shasta Community College. Notable achievements from his time there include cofounding the college’s first jazz combo, which would receive unanimous superior ratings at the 2015 Cabrillo Jazz Festival, and portraying the titular character/lead in the Shasta College Opera Theater production of Gounad’s Faust. Following completion of an Associate’s in general music, Ryan transferred to San Jose State University. Trujillo would study a combined 5 years at SJSU between undergraduate and graduate school under the guidance of bay area jazz bass titans John Shifflett and Dan Robbins. Specific accomplishments at SJSU include accompanying guest artist Dee Dee Bridgewater with the SJSU Jazz Orchestra dir. Aaron Lington, studying Afro Cuban culture, tradition, and music abroad in Havana, Cuba with the SJSU Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble dir. Jeff Lewis, performing Claude Bolling’s Concerto for Jazz Piano Trio and Orchestra with the SJSU Symphony Orchestra dir. Fred Cohen, as well as directing the SJSU Jazz Ensemble. Since graduating in 2022, Trujillo has firmly established himself as a performer working with a wide variety of groups and managing his own projects. He continues to study the music and cultures of latin America and has become a pillar of the California jazz community as a performer, recording artist and educator.
Bruce Moyer
Email: bruce.moyer@sjsu.edu
Location: Cupertino & SJSU
Bruce Moyer holds an undergraduate degree in music and mathematics from Temple University where he studied with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and a masters degree from the New England Conservatory where he studied with members of the Boston symphony. Formally principal bass with the Portland Symphony he is currently principal bass of the Monterey Symphony and a member of Symphony San Jose and the Carmel Bach Festival. He has performed with every major ensemble in the Northern California Bay Area including the Philharmonia Baroque, the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera and the San Francisco Ballet orchestras. As a dedicated and enthusiastic educator he is on the faculty of West Valley College, San Jose State, and Stanford Universities and maintains one of the largest private studios of double bass teaching in California. His students routinely win awards and are accepted into the top music institutions of higher learning. A lover of antique basses he collects and oversees their restoration.
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