Welcome!!!  Inside this site, you should find quite a bit of information about me, and here is an introduction to myself, as I am often asked about my life apart from music. 

You probably know that I am a concert violinist and arts enthusiast.  In addition, I am very interested in fine food and wine, have a small addiction to sushi and Starbucks, and enjoy living life to the fullest!  I frequently go dancing with my friends, and try and catch all the Broadway productions that come through town.  I divide my time between Dallas and Cleveland, studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Southern Methodist University, and graduated from Shaker Heights High School.  Traveling excites me, and I especially enjoy vacationing on the West Coast and in rural Canada.  I have been fortunate to have played some great music with fabulous people, and am continually inspired and motivated by the wisdom and insight they bring to our collaborations.

I actually began piano lessons before violin, and played for many years.  My lessons (with Mary Stoddard and Xiao-Ling Young) were a stepping stone to my violin education.  As a child, I attended many Cleveland Orchestra concerts, and have fond memories of the Dohnanyi era!  My grandmother was (and continues to be) an inspiration to me, as she is very knowledgeable and has quite of bit of performing experience with some legendary conductors.  In first grade, I asked my parents for violin lessons, and I began with Liza Grossman, a high-spirited, very humorous individual who ingrained in me a love for the repertoire and a natural violin sound.  I continued my studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music with David Russell and Linda Cerone, and attended their sister festival (ENCORE) for six years.  Currently, I study with Chee-Yun, the Korean violin sensation who needs no introduction.  I enjoy teaching, but my priority is concertizing.   I perform concerti with orchestra;  recitals with wonderful collaborators;  serve as concertmaster of the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra;  and chamber music when I can.  At this point, I have performed most of the standard repertoire with orchestra (including concerti of Brahms, Beethoven, Bruch, Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn, Prokofiev etc), and have been mentored by Julia Fischer and Charles Rex--both of whom I look up to.  My family has been very supportive;  though they are not involved in music, they have religiously attended concerts and musical functions.  My two younger sisters have taken music lessons, but are involved in many extracurricular activities as well.  After many concerts, I have also been fortunate to meet many supportive classical music lovers, and thanks to everyone who stops by and says hi!  Please, feel free to drop me a line, and thanks for visiting my site!!!

                                                            -Andrew