Strings

Dr. Barbara Beechey has been on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In addition, Dr. Beechey has taught full-time at the Lawrence University Community Music School since 1999. With the belief that young students can successfully start on the viola, 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. 

Dr. Beechey is an active performer in Northeast Wisconsin, where she is Principal Viola of the Fox Valley Symphony and the past Assistant Principal of the former Green Bay Symphony Orchestra. She has been a featured soloist with the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra and with the Manitowoc Symphony. Chamber music collaborations include those with other University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point faculty, Lawrence Community Music School faculty, Lawrence Chamber Players, St. Norbert College faculty, and Miami University faculty. Barbara has coached and participated in master classes with members of the Juilliard Quartet, the American String Quartet, the DaVinci Quartet, the Peabody Trio, the Cleveland Quartet, and the Oxford String Quartet. Past chamber music and orchestral performances have included concerts in Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Most recently, she has taught and performed in Haiti.

A full scholarship recipient as a member of Miami University Honor’s Quartet, Barbara Beechey earned her bachelor’s degree in viola performance. In addition, she received her masters in viola performance/pedagogy as well as a graduate performance diploma from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where Dr. Beechey was a four-year merit scholarship recipient. Barbara also holds a doctoral degree from the University of Madison-Wisconsin, where her dissertation A Comprehensive Guide to Standard Viola Etudes: An Exploration of Technical Points with Historical Preface led her to receive a grant to research etudes at The British Library in London and at the Bibliotheque nationale in Paris. Her principal instructors include Sally Chisholm, Victoria Chiang, Roberto Diaz, Violaine Melancon (violin), and Mary Harris. 

Dr. Beechey is currently writing an etude resource manual for teachers as well as transcribing a technical book for the viola.

Roza Borisova, cello instructor and native of Ioshkar-Ola, Russia, has been teaching at Lawrence Community Music School since 2003. Ms. Borisova began studies on the cello at the age of seven. After receiving her B.A. in music performance from the Ioshkar-Ola State Music College, she moved to Moscow, where she earned a M.Mus. in performance pedagogy and a D.M.A. in String Quartet Performance from the Russian State Academy of Music (formerly Gnesin’s Institute) in Moscow.

In 1989 Ms. Borisova was selected to be cellist of the Veronika String Quartet (newly formed by Valentine Berlinsky, cellist of the Borodin String Quartet). The Quartet’s international tours resulted in numerous prizes including the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, the Shostakovich String Quartet Competition, and the Russian National Competition. As an award of the Shostakovich Competition, in 1992 the Quartet was invited to study with the Fine Arts Quartet at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and relocated to the Unites States. Ms. Borisova served as Artist-in-Residence and graduate teaching assistant at various institutions in Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and Colorado and earned a second M.Mus. in music performance from Miami University, Ohio.

As part of the Veronika String Quartet, Ms. Borisova performed regularly as cellist with various symphony orchestras and at many festivals and institutes around the world, including the Steans Institute for Young Artists at Ravinia Festival in Chicago, the Second Jerusalem Chamber Music Encounters in Israel, the Britten-Pears School of Music in England, and the Lancaster Music Festival in Ohio. She currently performs with the Midwest Mozart Festival Orchestra, Woodstock, IL and freelances with orchestras and chamber music groups in Milwaukee, WI. She takes pleasure in teaching aspiring cellists.

Kin Chau, violin and viola instructor, has made numerous appearances in the United States, Canada, and the far-east as an active soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and concertmaster. She has been heard on the Irish Public Radio, RTHK Classical Music Radio, Wisconsin Public Radio, and has appeared on Hong Kong Television Broadcasting Ltd. Hong Kong TVB Pearl Channel, QDTV National Television in Qing Dao, as well as Lanzhou National Television. Ms. Chau has collaborated with Stuart Canin, Stephen Kates, Donald McInnes, Milton Thomas, and the Vedehr Trio among others in various music festivals such as the International Music Festival in Taipei, Taiwan. Her recent engagements include collaborations with Artists from Columbia Management Inc. in chamber music series in the cities of Boston, New Haven, and New York as well as a touring in the People's Republic of China.

Ms. Chau has been awarded prizes at numerous competitions including the Grand Prize in the Artist of Tomorrow Competition in Los Angeles, Grand Prize in the Hong Kong Music Festival Competition, the Jascha Heifetz Award, the Award for Distinguished Solo Performance at the Santa Barbara Music Festival, the University Fellowship Award at Yale University, and the University of Southern California Concerto Competition.

A native of Beijing, China, Ms. Chau began studying violin at age six and gave her first public performance at age seven. She received her Bachelor of Music degree at USC and was awarded the prestigious faculty prize of Outstanding Student in Graduating Class in Recognition of Professional Service, Leadership, and Performance, where she was a student of Alice Schoenfeld. She completed her Master of Music degree at Yale School of Music as a student of Erick Friedman. She has lectured and given master classes in Asia and the United States and was concertmaster of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 2006. Ms. Chau joined the Lawrence Conservatory and Lawrence Community Music School in 1993.

Sean Faccio ‘11 is a guitarist specializing in classical, rock, and other in-between genres. A Green Bay native, he took an early interest in the guitar and its possibilities. He began classical guitar lessons with Bob Shebesta and continued through high school with Bob Balsley and Luke Thomas. While at Lawrence University, Sean studied classical guitar under Dr. Nathan Wysock, jazz guitar with Steve Peplin, and took a deeper interest in classical music and art history; studying at Lawrence’s London Center was a particularly inspiring artistic experience. He has a wide range of work experience, having taught private guitar lessons to youth and adults, worked as an administrative intern with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Fox Valley Symphony, and spent several years in homecare with mentally disabled adults and children with autism. Sean gigs regularly around Northeast Wisconsin as a soloist, with a variety of local bands, and with acoustic acts. Many of his performances involve original compositions and songs. He also enjoys cooking, basketball, fashion, and learning new things every day.

Miyoko Grine-Fisher, cello instructor, has been teaching cello for over twenty years and has been a member of the Lawrence Community Music School faculty since 2003. In addition to her private studio teaching, Ms. Grine-Fisher is the director of the Community Music School's Summer Chamber Music camp and teaches string pedagogy at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music.

Ms. Grine-Fisher is currently the principal cellist of the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra and serves as the Development Director of the Oshkosh Youth Symphony, Inc.

Ms. Grine-Fisher graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.Mus. in cello performance and a B.A. in east Asian studies from Oberlin College and Conservatory. While attending Oberlin, she studied with Peter Rejto. Ms. Grine-Fisher obtained her master's degree in cello performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under the instruction of Jean-Michel Fonteneau. While attending SFCM, she was a faculty member of the conservatory's outreach program and helped develop a new after-school strings program for inner city schools.

Ms. Grine-Fisher was a scholarship recipient numerous summers at the Meadowmount School of Music (1991-1993) and the Aspen Music Festival (1994-1998). During recent summers, Ms. Grine-Fisher was a faculty member for Arts Education for Children Group in Maui and Lakeside Strings Association in Michigan.

As both a solo and chamber musician, Ms. Grine-Fisher has been invited to perform in master classes for Steven Isserlis, Stephen Doane, Tanya Carey, Janet Anthony, Bonnie Hampton, Anthony Elliott, Gilbert Kalish, Menahem Pressler, and Mark Sokol.

Nori Kalman, violin instructor, received a Music Baccalaureate Diploma from the Arts Conservatory, Baia-Mare, Romania and her diploma in Instrumental Music in violin, (BM) from the Academy of Music “G.Dima”, Cluj, Romania. Following the Advanced Teaching Methodology of Violin exam, she was promoted to the rank of II level degree in Romania.

In addition to her years at the Lawrence Community Music School Ms. Kalman has taught at the Conservatory of Arts, Baia-Mare, Romania, and had private studios in Madison and Oshkosh. She currently performs with Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, the Fox Valley Symphony, and is a substitute with the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra.

She has a traditional approach in teaching violin, adjusted to each student individually. Her primary goal is to make violin studies a unique experience which will enhance one’s everyday skills, such as determination and patience.

"If more people will embrace the passion of music, the world can become a better place."
— Nori Kalman

Justyna Lutow-Resch enjoys a multifaceted career as an educator and performer. Currently, she is Associate Concertmaster of the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra as well as a member of the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra and Rockford Symphony Orchestra. In addition, she has performed as associate principal with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, served as violin professor at Augustana College, taught for Harmony South Dakota, and continues to maintains a private Suzuki studio.

As a soloist, she has appeared with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Worthington Area Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Wesleyan Civic Orchestra, and the Windy City String Ensemble. As an orchestral player, she has performed with over twelve professional orchestras. She has been a member of the Hunt Quartet and the Solidar Quintet, with whom she was a Semi-Finalist in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. She has played in master classes for Rachel Barton Pine, Keith Conant, Sharon Polifrone, and members of the Emerson, Pacifica, and Vermeer quartets.

She began her Suzuki violin studies at the age of ten with Elaine Duckwall and continued under the instruction of Michael Hining. She received a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music from the University of Wisconsin under the instruction of David Perry. When not performing or teaching, Justyna enjoys spending time with her husband, Tyler, and two children—daughter Aleksandra and son Antóin.

Yuliya Smead, violin instructor, is currently Concertmaster of the Fox Valley Symphony and the Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra and was Assistant Concertmaster of the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra. She has been an adjunct violin professor and a lecturer at UW-Oshkosh since 2015.

Yuliya moved to the United States in 1999 from Ukraine. While in Ukraine, she was Concertmaster of the State Chamber Orchestra Trembita and Symphony Leopolis. Both orchestras toured extensively in Germany, Belgium, France, Poland, and Switzerland. She was a two-time winner of the Young Talents State Competition and a second prize winner of the Gitaralia competition in Poland. She appeared as a soloist with the Lviv Philharmonia Orchestra, the Symphony Leopolis in Ukraine and Belgium, the Russian Chamber Orchestra, and with the Oshkosh Symphony and Manitowoc Symphony. Yuliya played first violin with the Ensemble of Modern Music Cluster for 5 years. The ensemble performed throughout Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Holland, and Hungary.

Yuliya holds a B.A. in violin performance and pedagogy from Ternopil State College of Music and master and doctoral degrees, both cum laude, from Lysenko Lviv State Conservatory in Ukraine.

Carrie Willer, cello instructor, has been connected with the Lawrence Community Music School for over thirty one years as a former student and since 1998 as a cello instructor.  Dr. Willer completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, winning a full-paid scholarship and studying under Parry Karp, cellist of the Pro Arte String Quartet. She has been actively involved in youth education as a judge for the Wisconsin School Music Association's Solo and Ensemble festivals and sectional coach for the Fox Valley Youth Symphonies and Madison Youth Symphonies. Dr. Willer has performed with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra, the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, and the Madison Symphony Orchestra. She is also an elementary school principal in the Appleton Area School District and loves working with children of all ages. Dr. Willer has a diverse teaching repertoire and believes all children and adults can learn to express themselves through music, and she individualizes her lessons to the needs of the learner using compassion, creativity, flexibility, and gentle guidance.