WFV in shop teachers — Williams Fine Violins

Lauren saks

**VIOLIN/FIDDLE**
A classically trained violinist from Chicago who has been playing for over twenty years, Lauren Saks has been living in Nashville and maintaining a small private teaching studio since 2011. Lauren received her master's degree in Commercial Violin Performance from Belmont University in 2016 and her bachelor's degree from Denison University in 2010, having double majored in violin performance and creative writing. She was featured as concertmaster with the Denison orchestra. In the fall of 2008, Lauren studied abroad at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music in The Netherlands.
In early 2018 she joined the band of Grammy-nominated, Canadian country artist, Terri Clark, backing her up on fiddle, harmony vocals, and acoustic guitar. Lauren made her Grand Ole Opry debut performing with Terri in February, 2018.
Lauren has performed and recorded with a variety of live bands in Nashville, and continues to perform classically for both solo violin and ensemble events and concerts throughout the city. Learn more about Lauren at laurensaks.com

DAVID JOHNSON

**VIOLIN/FIDDLE**
David Johnson is the Concertmaster of the Parthenon Chamber Orchestra. David is a member of the Paducah Symphony, the Jackson Symphony, the Murfreesboro Symphony, the Nashville Philharmonic and the Trevecca Symphony. He teaches private violin and fiddle at Williams Fine Violins and in his own private studio. An active freelancer in the Middle Tennessee area, David particularly enjoys playing chamber music and is a great fan and student of traditional Appalachian and Irish music. David toured with Country Music artist Randy Travis for 27 years, and has fiddled for square dances in Lebanon and Gallatin as his travel schedule permitted.

Jennifer Steinfeldt Warren

**VIOLIN/VIOLA**
Jennifer has taught private violin and viola lessons for over 20 years. She holds violin performance undergraduate and graduate degrees from Middle Tennessee State University with post-graduate studies in viola. Jennifer performs with the Jackson Symphony, Murfreesboro Symphony, the Parthenon Chamber Orchestra, and the “Wire Cabal” string ensemble.

Kirsten Mitchell

**VIOLIN**
Kirsten is a member of the Nashville Symphony, joining the first violin section in 1997 after earning a degree in violin performance at DePaul University. She has previously taught violin students at Austin Peay Community School of the Arts and from her home. She focuses on providing a relaxed, enjoyable lesson experience and enjoys teaching students of every age and skill level.

Claire Shirey

**Irish Fiddle**
A Fiddle/Concertina player, champion Irish dancer, and Director of the Nashville Irish Music School (est. 2019). At age 7 Claire began playing the Fiddle and Irish Dancing in her hometown of Canton, Georgia. Starting with an upbringing in the Atlanta Irish Music School gave her the Irish Music education she needed to pursue her love for performing. Claire started off her professional career in 2012 while based in Atlanta, Georgia with “Ah Surley” of the Atlanta Celtic Company. During her time in Atlanta Claire performed with the band all throughout the Southeast at festivals, concerts, and workshops.
Since 2018, Claire has been a prominent Fiddle Player in the Irish Dance Competition Scene, “Feiseanna” traveling across the US and Mexico to provide music for these high level competitions. Currently Claire performs across North America as the primary Fiddle Player for the Irish Dance Show, Celtic Illusion in their Canadian/US tour and a resident member of the Michael Londra Band of “Ireland with Michael”
She is a graduate from the University of Georgia with a degree in Communications Studies and a certificate in Music Business. In 2019 Claire moved to Nashville, TN and eventually started the Nashville Irish Music School.

Nathan Bieber

**Violin**
Violinist Nathan Bieber currently works as a studio musician for Nashville Music Scoring, housed at Nashville’s historic Ocean Way Studios. Prior to relocating to Nashville, he was a section violinist for several professional orchestras in his home state of Michigan. Nathan has also performed in the ensembles for GRAMMY award winning artists Gregory Porter and Mannheim Steamroller. In December of 2023, he performed at the Grand Ole Opry backing Tommee Profitt and a slew of acclaimed guest artists.
During his studies, Bieber attended the Cambridge International String Academy (Trinity College, Cambridge, UK), served as associate concertmaster of the National Orchestral Institute Festival Orchestra, and attended the Aspen Music Festival and School where he was a member of the Festival and Opera Orchestras.
He holds his Bachelor of Music degree and his Master of Music degree in Violin Performance from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance where he studied with David Halen.

Joseph Christianson

**Violin**
Joseph is a member of three-time Grammy® nominated Quartet San Francisco. He has collaborated with artists including Augustin Hadelich, Tower of Power, Take 6 and Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band. He has performed at festivals including Cabrillo Contemporary Music Festival; Cremona Music Festival; ASEAN Festival in Nanning, China; Colorado College Summer Music Festival; and Castleton Festival in Muscat, Oman with Lorin Maazel.
Joseph has performed with Nashville Symphony, Berkeley Symphony and San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. Joseph is active as a session player for Nashville Scoring Orchestra, Skywalker Symphony orchestra, and Magik*Magik Orchestra
Joseph received a Bachelor's and Master's in Music from San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has taught privately for 15+ years and teaches ages 5+.

Anna Eyink

**Violin**
Anna Eyink has been playing violin for over 20 years, with a background in classical violin and bluegrass fiddle. She received her bachelor’s degree in Classical Violin Performance from Bowling Green State University in 2020, and she received her master’s degree in Commercial Violin Performance from Belmont University in 2022. She has performed with Lindsey Stirling, Josh Groban, Tommee Profitt, Jo Dee Messina, Ginna Claire Mason, Jordan Smith, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, and Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, among many others, and has performed on the Opry and Ryman stages. When she is not teaching, Anna regularly performs and does studio work around Nashville. She has taught private lessons for students of all ages since 2018. As a teacher, Anna is dedicated to helping her violin, viola, and fiddle students find what genres ignite their passion and develop the skills necessary to perform those styles.

DSC01720-27 (1).jpeg — DEIDRE EMERSON

**CELLO**
Deidre Vaughn Emerson first started playing cello at the age of five. She received her Bachelor’s of Music in Cello Performance magna cum laude at Birmingham Southern College, and her Masters in Cello Performance at University of Houston in the studio of Vagram Saradjian. She has had the opportunity to study and perform at a number of music festivals throughout the United States and Europe.
Deidre has had many opportunities and continues to perform and teach in multiple genres including sacred, religious, symphonic, chamber, modern, country, fiddle, opera, theatre, ballet, musicals, soundtracks, and popular music just to name a few. She has lead many master classes and clinics as a cellist and conductor for all ages and levels. Mrs. Emerson has been adjudicator for a number of orchestral festivals. She has taught university classes in orchestra, applied cello, cello ensemble, string ensemble, string methods, theory, ear training, aural skills, and sight singing. She has been honored as guest artist and guest lecturer for a number of colleges, universities, and professional musicians’ organizations.
Currently she resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband Matt and their two children, Archer and Astrid. Here she teaches at a number of schools and studios and also maintains her own private teaching studio. She also does recording and performance work in this city’s vibrant industry, and is involved in many full time ensembles. She is currently the Professor of Cello atTennessee State University, Nashville State Community College, and Trevecca Nazarene University.

SADIE SLACK

CELLO

Sadie McKnight holds a Masters in cello performance from the Rudi E Scheidt School of Music in Memphis,TN and a Bachelors in performance from S.U.N.Y. Purchase Conservatory of Music in NY. While in Memphis, McKnihgt served as assistant principle cellist to the University of Memphis Orchestra, principle cellist of the Balmoral Chamber Orchestra and was cellist of the University of Memphis Graduate Quartet. She has performed as soloist with the Hastings Symphony Orchestra, the Balmoral Chamber Orchestra, and appeared on Public Radio International’s “From the Top” from Jordan Hall in Boston, MA. McKnight has been teaching since 2008 and received Suzuki Every Child Can and Book one training in 2014.

She is currently teaching private students, is a sub cellist with the Huntsville Symphony, and performs as a freelance cellist throughout the Nashville area. McKnight's principle teachers include, Carol Work, George Work, Julia Lichten, Felix Wang and Leonardo Altino.

My goal is to leave students with the tools, knowledge and confidence to achieve their own personal musical aspirations. Suzuki Certification:-Every Child Can-Cello Book one